Game fee and a tip
 

This happened about 3 weeks ago, but I never got around to sharing. Working a boys JV and on the opening jump ball, the ball is tapped to the ground and the home team jumper grabs it. Visiting HC is not happy. He insists it's a violation. I tell him that the jump ends when the ball hits the ground. He replies that I need to learn the rules. As I'm quickly trying to decide how to respond to that little outburst, he surprises me by wanting to make a wager. "I'll bet you you're wrong. I'll bet you anything. I'll bet you a year's salary."

I double-checked my rule book at halftime. I wasn't :cool:

My partner and I had a good laugh as we chatted about how to break the news to the coach.

So how did the conversation go at the start of the third quarter? :D

And? Do tell.

Well, did you get your game fee and tip?

Whenever a coach wants to challenge me on a rule, I tell him I have a rulebook with me and we'll look it up. If I'm wrong, I'll pay him $100, but if he's wrong, he has to wash my car.

So far, I haven't had any takers. :p

Wow. Opening jump ball and the coach is already asking for calls! Could make for a long night.

Mark - I hope I can know the rules as good as this someday!

I did have one coach challenge me on a ruling in the first half of a Rec game. At half time I looked it up and showed it to him after the game - even seeing it in black and white he still didn't like it! :p

Thats because he wasn't looking for the correct enforcement of the rules, he was looking for an advantage.

Whenever a coach "doesn't like" a rule, I tell him that he needs to contact the National Federation of State High School Associations rules committee and that I would be glad to provide him with their address after the game. That usually ends the discussion.

First thing I would confirm if our bet is his salary or mine.
Second, with a JV Coach, I promise I would have torn that page out and gave it to him.
Third, tell him to keep his money!

Ok so now I have a question. I thought that a jumper could not be one of the people that gains of control after the tip, and as well if the ball hits the floor on a tip, the jump is redone. We use NCAA, and I would presume your using Fed. rules. So if this is the case great, but could someone set me straight.

This discussion is geared around NFHS Rules. A jumper may be the first to gain control only after the ball has touched the floor or a non jumper. If the ball is tossed by the referee and comes down and hits the floor without being touched by either jumper, it's a re-do. As long as the ball has been tipped by a jumper and then touched a non-jumper or the floor, then one of the jumpers may be the first to control the ball.

The NCAA and FED rules are the same on this. The jump ball restrictions end when the ball touches the floor, a non-jumper, the backboard,

Exactly. Oh, and don't forget (the remote possibility of it hitting) either basket. The ball was tipped by the jumpers, but then it hit the floor. At that point all restrictions on the jumpers ended and they were as eligible as any other player to grab it.

Sadly the coach was talking about his salary. If he were talking mine, I'd have been getting sworn statements from witnesses! :D

In the end, my partner and I decided it really would serve no useful purpose to bring it up after the half. I was scheduled to see them again later in the week and I figured I'd tell him before that game that I had double-checked and I was right. If he chose to bring up the wager, I'd offer to go double-or-nothing so that I could at least buy lunch with my winnings. ;)

But I got moved off that game (to a BJV/V DH) and now I won't see him until next year. Oh well.

I'd have let him know about it before the 2nd half. If you do it in a good way the coach will not get upset, but be glad you took the time to make sure you got it right. He did it in a joking way, so you could take that back at him and you'd probably have a pretty good rapport with him the rest of the night. I'd tell him the rule and page number you found it so he can look for himself.