Court Coverage
 

Does the lead in NCAA rules have a different court coverage than in NFHS? Maybe I am mistaken, but it seems to me that I have seen some leads make foul or violation calls on the lead's side, but beyond the three point arc. I know in NFHS that this area is the trail's area, but is it different in NCAA? I like to watch these games and try and learn how to apply what I see to my own games and I do not want to pick up bad high school habits that are actually correct NCAA procedures. Also, in the NCAA does the lead make a five second closely guarded call if th eball is in his primary?

First of all to answer your question, yes! There is a distinct different between the Lead coverage area between men's and women's NCAA. NCAA men's is exactly like HS. NCAA women is not.

The court coverage is exactly the same in men's NCAA as NFHS. Women's NCAA have a different coverage where the Lead has the option to officiate all the way from the FT line down and out to the sideline. A lot of the veterans do have a tendency to extend their coverage areas way beyond what is prescribed in the manual. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a playoff official when I started out. He told me not to do what he does because I'd get messed up. Just stick to the prescribed mechanics. :)

Not true.

This is not an option; it's the mandated coverage.

Not entirely true. If the lead wants to referee the post play, they do not have to be on ball when it is in their primary(esp. in the corner outside the 3 pt. line). They tell the trail where to look based on where they are officiating (post or corner).

I've never heard this before. Any experienced NCAAW officials here who can straighten me out?

I agree.. In our state we use the women's mechanic and the lead has from the free line extended down to the baseline, but they don't have the sideline, the trail has that, which I don't like. This is not an option, but I pregame... IF the lead doesn't open up or take the area, and he's still looking down low, the trail should stay on the ball in this area until the lead accepts it.

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The court coverage is exactly the same in men's NCAA as NFHS.
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Originally Posted by Scrapper1 Not true.

What exactly isn't true about socal's statement? :confused:

I believe that in NFHS mechanics, the Lead is responsible for the nearer half of the lane all the way to the FT line and from the FT line extended out to the 3-point arc. There used to be a "dual area" of responsibility in NFHS, remember? Well, if you take out that dual area, the part that's left is the Lead's primary area in NCAAM.

Okay, that sounds reasonable. I'll have to check on that and get back to you. I haven't seen an NCAAM's court coverage diagram in about three years.

I'm surprised that they made the Trail have some primary area inside the three point line. I actually think that it is good and like the idea because it gets the Trail more involved and forces him to work down by the 28' mark instead of out by the division line. Still it would surprise me if the NCAA did something intelligent.

Yes the lead has a different court coverage in NCAA. In Men's the lead has post play. He has a triangular area, if you will, that includes middle of the lane from freethrow line to base line as the furthest edge and then from his position on the baseline up through the post to the freethrow line. The trail has the leads side, with a 60/40, split up top. Trail takes 3 pt tries and sideline. Lead doesn't take anything outside 3 pt line. Primary could be extended if there is a play that needs to be officiated.
In NCAA W the lead has middle of the lane, from freethrow line to baseline all the way out to sideline. This is different than NFHS, in that NFHS stops coverage at the 3 pt line. Lead marks the 3 pt try in NCAA W but does not score the succesful goal. Trail has sideline out of bounds and plays going to the basket from their primary.
As for counting in NCAA, the lead will not count five seconds, the trail will help and make the count. Hope that helps.

SoCalRef is correct on this point.

It's not a whole lot different from the ball transitioning from T's area to C's area -- T doesn't give it up until C accepts it.

It seems a LOT different to me, if the ball is not transitioning between PCA's. If it's staying in the Lead's primary (from post to corner), you're saying that the Lead doesn't stay with the ball in his/her own primary?

Suppose the ball is in T's area, and L is watching the two post player's jockeying for position. If the ball is then passed to the corner, L can stay on the post play, and T stays with the ball.

What's the point of having a primary area of responsibility if you're not responsible for the ball when it's in your PCA? Women's coverage just makes no sense at all to me.

And what happens in the case that I described? Ball is in the post, players jockeying, and the ball gets kicked to the corner? Who takes the ball?