Help me with my mechanics?
 

So, I've got some more church league games this weekend and want to spend these games focusing on mechanics. I think I've got the routine down for calling fouls: whistle, clenched fist, call color, number, signal type of foul to offending player, report to table, color/number/type again, signal shots or spot of throw in.

Is that right?

Also, some of the slang terms we use for fouls don't have actualy signals for them, so what do you use in these cases:

Illegal screen (push? PCF?)
Illegally fighting around the screen
Over the back (push again? or illegal use of hands)

Also, do you audibly call out the type of foul when you give the signal or do you just give it?

Thanks!

Illegal screen = team control foul
Illegally fighting around the screen = push
Over the back = push

I don't normally say what the foul is at the table unless I need to communicate some other information like "hit him in the head" or pushed him outof bounds" That's more for the coach than the table. And you won't find that in the mechanics manual.

I'll also add there's no real need to give foul, color, number at the spot unless it's unusual situation, and you won't find that in the manual either.

You will find in the manual that you should indicate the number of shots at the location if the offended team is shooting.

Yup.

The illegal screen is usually a block for me. Fighting through the screen is a push. Rebounding fouls are usually a push also.

Just a note, the illegal screen is almost never a player control foul. To be a PC foul, the player must be holding or dribbling the ball (or be an airborne shooter). The player with the ball is almost never the one to be guilty of a bad screen. It is, however, a team control foul now. This is signalled with the "punch".

I personally do not verbalize the foul at the spot of the foul. I'm probably supposed to, but I don't. I just indicate which team it's against and if we're shooting or possession. At the table, I give the signal, but again I don't say it.

I prefer to to give the shirt color and number at the spot of the foul. I also give my partner the shooter and how many we're shooting or where we are putting the ball in play, ALL at the spot of the foul. THis helps your partner get the game ready to play after you've reported to the table.

Really? I could have sworn I read that last night in the official's manual. Color, number, foul at the spot and then all over again at the table. Maybe I read it wrong.

I said you won't find it in the manual.

Oh yeah, as Scrappy says indicate the spot of the throw-in before going to report. Very important.

Ok, thanks.

:confused:
The manual specifies exactly this procedure on the floor and to the scorer - pages 36 and 37.
230,c.d for reporting on the floor
231b/c for at the table

color, number, foul in both instances

I knew I wasn't going crazy! Thanks, jk.

That's right. That's why I said that I should do it, but usually don't. I agree with Dan on this. It's usually not necessary. Kid drives 1-on-1 to the basket and you have a foul. Do you really need to stand there and say "White, 23!" and give the illegal use of hands signal? Everybody knows what you have. So go report it.

You can do it your way my friend.

Frankly, I don't think I could locate a copy of my mechanics manual if Chuck Elias' life depended on it.

You might have meant to say you stand corrected.
While it is in the manual I can't recall ever hearing anyone follow the manual that strictly - just enough clear communication so that the players and your partner[s] know what you have and what will happen next. The rationale behind reporting in detail on the floor may have something to do with 'what if one of my partners has a different number and this is a multiple foul'... something that is routinely disregarded anyway.

No. I meant to say what I said.

I know what the manual says and I know I'm going against the manual, which is why I said he won't find *my* advize in the thing.

In my book it's overly-officious to report color, number foul at the spot in most cases.

So why did you say it wasn't in the manual then?

Nevermind. I can see now that you're just arguing semantics for the sake of arguing. Carry on.

Well, this oughta be good. Might as well get comfortable....
http://www.csicop.org/si/9204/popcorn.gif

I use color and number sometimes when one kid makes a good block and another defender fouls. I give color and number to ease the blocker's pain.

Also, I advise newer officials to get, and say, it [the color and the number] on the spot, as a memory aid so they won't forget, or misreport, or seem confused by the time they get to the table.

The only preliminary signals I give are (1) block and (2) team control. But I always give the throw-in spot or signal how many shots we're shooting.

More is not better, despite what the manual says.

Excellent point.

Never leave the area until you know the player's color & number. Also point out the shooter for your partner....but don't report the shooter as the fouler. ;) That's frowned upon, but you won't find that advize in the mechanics manual either.

Because I know what's in the manual without having to refer to it.

Dan:

An illegal screen is usually blocking but could possibly be pushing; furthermore, if the illegal screen is by the defense it cannot be a team control foul.

MTD, Sr.

Mark,

I'll agree a screen can be set by a defender and if illegal would be reported as a block.

I'll disagree that an illegal offensive screen is reported as a block. It is a team control foul and is reported as such. A team control foul, as you know, is penalized differently than the other common fouls.

You do both while reporting. Team-control signal and then the type of foul that was committed (block, push, etc.).

No I don't. No reason to.

So you just do both at the spot?

Nope.

Blow whistle. Drop whistle. Point the other way. Point to spot.

Color, number, hand behind head or punch to table depending on what gym I'm in and say "illegal screen".