Know the rules!!!

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm relatively new to this Forum, I've only posted 180 times, and can't believe that I got an apology from "THE" Jurassic Referee.

First one since the Mesozoic Era, if I recall correctly.

[iceman70]

BillyMac:

You got it. The designated spot, just like your daughter's bed, never becomes wider than 3'. You were confusing the actual area the player can cover with the spot itself.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Jurassic Referee:

1) From one of your posts in this thread, I think, hopefully, that we agree. In a real game, I believe that both of us will legally allow a player to take one normal stride outside the three foot designated spot before making a throw in, as long as he or she does not move one of his or her feet outside the three foot wide designated spot and releases the ball within five seconds.

2) Where's Chuck Elias?

3) Jurassic Referee: Thanks for not calling me any names in this thread.

1) That's basically what I've been saying too, Billy.

2) Chuck Elias has moved to Tampa Bay and taken a position during spring training as a towel boy at Legends Field.

3) You're welcome. Please note that there are no guarantees that this will carry over into future threads.(Actually, I'm trying to work on that. I can get too carried away sometimes- usually with some of the fanboys that slither out of the ooze at this time of the year).

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by iceman70

BillyMac:

You got it. The designated spot, just like your daughter's bed, never becomes wider than 3'. You were confusing the actual area the player can cover with the spot itself.

Exactly and if you try to teach the concept using the same terms instead of just using "three foot designated spot", imo it's fairly easy to confuse newer officials because they have no reference in their books to something like "nine foot equivalent designated spot". Simple is best iow. I'm living proof of that.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

If a player legally moves to the far right side of the three-foot wide designated spot, keeps one foot over that three-foot wide designated spot, and takes a normal two foot stride before releasing the ball (from my high school coach, "step into your pass"), his or her designated spot has now become five feet wide.

Where is my thinking wrong?

The rule *could have* been written as something like "the designated spot is 7 feet wide, but the player must keep both feet in or over the spot". this would have roughly the same effect as "the spot is 3' wide; one foot must be kept over the spot."

The point is 1) watch the "back" foot, not the "front" foot, 2) use the rule book terms / rules when talking to / teaching other officials.

[BillyMac]

I believe it is a Chinese proverb that states "One picture is worth a thousand words". I guess that Jurassic Referee and I agree on the interpretation of the rule but the "wording" of my interpretation got in the way.

Thanks to other Forum members for joining in to help other Forum members, especially fans, coaches, and rookie officials, to understand this designated spot rule.

Mplagrow states: "First one since the Mesozoic Era, if I recall correctly".

Mplagrow: If I may use my unused (I'm now an analytical chemist) B.S. and M.S. in Geology, Jurassic Referee had not yet evolved in the early part of the Mesozoic Era. I don't know who officiated games in the Triassic Period, the age of much of the bedrock here in Central Connecticut. We've got plenty of fossil footprints of this official, but don't know who the official was that created them.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

2) Chuck Elias has moved to Tampa Bay and taken a position during spring training as a towel boy at Legends Field.

Got an update on that.

Boss George wouldn't offer him a contract, it's only a tryout. So now Chuck and Bernie are going to start their own towel boy services company.

Good luck to them both!