Woman's College Mechanics
 

After doing high school for a number of years I am going to a woman's college basketball tryout camp.

Anyone have a simple outline of the woman's college mechanics.

Thanks

Make'em up as you go... ;)

get the CCA womens college manual for Referee Magazine. If you want simple you will be simple at camp, if you want the right the stuff get the manual.

Do you need to know the coverage areas as well? I believe that the women's coverage areas are the same as HS for 3-person -- EXCEPT that the Lead 's area doesn't stop at the 3-point arc; it extends all the way to the sideline. So in NCAAW, the Lead has primary coverage on a 3-point shot from the corner.

The coverage may also be slightly different regarding where the T and C coverages meet above the 3-point arc. In HS, the Trail has primary coverage all the way to the far lane line; but in NCAAW, they might split the top of the frontcourt right down the middle.

Mechanics-wise, NCAAW differs from HS in a few ways: they "walk and talk" while reporting a foul, and they use 2 hands to give the fouler's number. The right hand is the 10's digit and the left hand is the 1's digit, so that it reads normally to the scorer. So they report just like the NBA refs.

NCAAW also give responsibility for the last shot to the Center official always. It's NOT the official opposite the table, as in HS. Whoever is C, takes the last shot. This means that in the last shot clock possession of the half (or game, or OT period), the officials "lock down", they will NOT rotate. This is to ensure that there's no confusion over who the C is for the last shot. I believe the Lead may still come ball side if he/she needs to, but the outside officials will not complete the rotation. As I said, I think this is only in the last 30 seconds of a period.

I think those are the major ones. Coverage, last second, and reporting. There are obviously rule differences too, that you should be aware of, but I'm not the person to ask about that.

If I've got any of it wrong so far, somebody who's more accomplished than I am on the women's side will correct it for you.

Good luck at camp!

All correct -- but the T/C split is the far side of the lane, just as in other mechanics.

Short and sweet, women's mechanics is exactly like the NBA. Some of the coverages areas I think is better than HS and college men's. For instance, the Lead marks the 3 attempt in his coverage area which means when the ball is deep in the corner, strong side, the lead gets to ref that area which he should because he's closer to it.

In reference to the guy explaining the C gets the final shot. That is true, but what's left out of the manual that most may not know is the crew tries to get the C opposite the table. It works the best when the C is opposite the table and has last second shot.

Some rule differences that I really think hurts the women's game. No closely guarded 5 second count on the dribbler and no 10 second back court count. This really takes the excitement out of the game.

Scrapper has it right

But get the manual
there are suttle differences in what you are looking to be looking at
and baseline positioning (which is a big deal)
but the manual is th best bet.

What camp?

Absolutely 100% not true...more made-up garbage...jdccpa, read what Scrapper wrote and take that to heart...Old School is correct on the no 10 second count and 5 second count only on a held ball (anywhere on the court)...but the part I quoted is incorrect and no crew I have worked with in the past 10 years has ever done that...

Not on any crew I have ever worked.
Why would you do that?
I have never seen a table with a clock?

We do have a lock down at the 5 second mark on the shot clock or game clock so that you are in position to make the call. But we encourage rotations we look for reasons to rotate so the C position could change a couple of times inside the 30 second posession.
I have never purposely locked the C inthe oposite position on one of my crews!

Make sure you have a really good pregame. I heard not long ago that the women's mechanics were possibly on the way out and we would all be using men's. Anyone else hear rumblings about that? I think the Lead coverage areas in women's mechanics really takes away a lot of the advantage of having a 3 person crew. I work it, but I certainly don't like it. :)

Actually heard it the other way around that we would all be going the route of Womens mechanics

If you work it alot with a crew that is comforatble in the transitioning primary areas I like it better than the mens.

but it comes down to what you are more comfortable with.

In men's and HS, it's always opposite the table. Going forward, I did mention that this was an unwritten rule. The reason is obvious, we want opposite table but we want the C to have it. Kind of like the best of both worlds.

I think the coverage area from the Lead deep in the cornier is better. If the ball is deep in the corner and the Trail 28 ft away has primary. The lead still has to keep one eye on the play in case the ball goes out on the baseline. It just makes more sense to have the Lead referee that area. The Trail and C 28 ft. away can take care of anything else at the boards. Should the pass go into the post from deep in the corner the Lead simply turns his head with the ball and slides down to cover this area.

Again, absolute rubbish...it's an unwritten rule because it does NOT exist and no one in their right mind does it that way...at the NCAA level the clocks should be mounted on top of the backboard (anyone who actually worked that level would know this) and so being opposite the table has absolutely NO bearing on who has the last shot in NCAA-W basketball...

This is an incorrect mechanic. Once the L picks up the ball in the deep corner in his/her primary, it is now the trail's responsibility to watch the post. If the L would simply "turn his head," L would have no idea how either the offensive player or the defensive player got there.

So, again, if the L picks up the ball in the deep corner, the trail picks up the post action.

Well we are going to have to disagree on that point because like I said I have never come across it in the womens game - in any pre game or last minute discussion we have had going in to a possible last possession in my time - but maybe you guys do that.

I can tell you this, you better not let an observer, catch you failing to rotate for that reason.
I have seen crews get reemed for not making late rotations, (not to put the C in the opposite position), but just failing to make a needed rotation late in a game or half.