The Possession Switch
 

http://www.possessionswitch.com

Anyone going to try one of these out?

I just read about it in the May 2007 Referee.

These have been around for quite a while. They may be new to you, but not many of us. ;)

The problem with them is that if you forget to switch it, then what are you going to do?

My advice is to just use the arrow at the table and take a look to ensure that it changes when it should. Keep it simple.

Not me. Besides it costs as much as a whistle. I can spend that money on something other than a devise that makes me do the scorer's job.

Next they will try to sell us a devise we can put on one finger of each hand so we can keep track of points. Maybe a white one for the home team to be placed on right hand and a black one on left hand for the visitors.
Something similar to the devises that track the number of people entering a
game.

I was thinking something like this was already out there. However, I was under the impression it fixed on the top of your whistle.

Either way, I don't plan on using it...I can keep track in my head. :)

Whistle[Listerine pocket pack, whatever] in the pocket works... right pocket goes to home, left to visitors or whatever your scheme. I'm not going to rely on remembering the arrow and tracking the arrow myself gives me a good indicator of how alert I am and/or how alert the table crew is. I don't want to spend more money for an extra device, though.

Daryl knows that I have had owned a couple of possession switches for a number of years. I have them on two of my Fox 40's. I rarely use them and when I do it is usually in youth summer recreational leagues and H.S. team summer camps where there is no AP Arrow to begin with. They do affect the sound of the whistle somewhat. I would never use them during real games, i.e., H.S., college, and summer national tournaments.

And yes, Daryl is that cheap as not to buy one.

MTD, Sr.

It's probably more of a case that Daryl would be ashamed to be seen wearing one.:D

Rubber band, face the table, rubber band goes on hand that points to bench.

Jump ball, face the table, rubber band on right hand, point to team bench on the right side of table. Change to the other hand b4 you put ball back in play. Don't set to the basket like the arrow would point if there was an arrow, because this will screw you up in the 1st half.

iirc, you're a relatively newer official. The technique you suggest is often used by newer officials (or, and MTD points out, in summer games where you're working several games in a row with less-than-perfect table personnel and equipment). As you gain more experience, you should try to wean yourself from this habit and remember the arrow.

Sigh.....

It never stops. A perfect 593 for 593. :rolleyes:

Players are not allowed to wear rubber bands. It's in the rules. You'll have to trust trust me on that, seeing that you and rulebooks are strangers to each other. It isn't recommended that officials wear anything that players aren't allowed to use.

The only people that would even consider doing anything like that are the Old Schools of the world. It might be OK in rec leagues, but it sureasheck doesn't fly anywhere else. Don't be <b>that guy</b>.

Is that the recommended procedure used in your college games, OS?

JR, sorry, but I have to be fair.

You misspelled "intramural."

Heck no. Just another excuse (device) to avoid learning how to manage the possession arrow.

Furthermore, even for someone using the rubber band techinque, it's a lot less confusing to just always point to the basket, as the arrow would. Pointing to the bench must be unbelievably difficult.

From one of the pages on the website: "This product may reduce the performance of the Fox 40 whistles."

Caveat emptor.

Its easier to keep the possessions in your head!!!!!

Actually Rainmaker, I've found that facing the bench and pointing is better for me than pointing to the basket because of your center of reference. If you have your back to the table, or you forget which way you are standing, which could easily occur after several games, and point to the basket, you could easily get reversed and be wrong. My way, I have to always face the table and in the first half of the game, I always call the color. So I face the bench, band on my left hand, point to left side bench, blue ball. It doesn't matter which way blue is going. Sometimes in these AAU type games, we don't always line then up opposite bench for the jump.

Another point here which goes to Mr.JR point is working multiple games. I will speak for myself here. After several games, my concentration starts to fall off, and I forget which team had the last jump ball. So I do the rubber band as a failsafe to me forgetting. Of course, this is not needed in a regulation game because table personal takes care of this. So in a regulation game you are right, we can not have a rubber band on our hands. We also are not supposed to have on rings either but I see a lot of officials with their rings on even at the state playoff's.

Wow - an entire website dedicated to a single product? God bless the internet.

I tend to agree - seems it would be easier to keep track in your head than use this thing. I'll use the whistle as backup for games where there is no arrow (or the scorer/timer doesn't know how to use it), but for HS and above, I'm watching the table.

You may not, but in my games, we do. In all the games around here, we do.
Wrong.

I've never heard this rule. This is the exception to the jewelry prohibition for officials. I've never heard of a single state, area, or rule set, where the officials aren't allowed to wear their wedding rings.

Wedding bands are acceptable and its up to the individual Association on that kind of stuff. But FWIW, a medalion hanging from your thick gold chain would draw a lot of attention!!!!! Bling - Bling!!!!

Nope - yours is one opinion and I know very respected college officials who do this as well. I do not see this as a new official gimic but as a good habit begun at the right time.

Seriously? I've never worked with a single college official (or a top-notch HS official) that uses a device to keep track of the arrow (rubber band, whistle in the pocket etc.) They have all learned to manage the arrow that the official scorekeeper uses.

Low-level games where the official scorekeeper makes a mess of the arrow are the perfect place to practice arrow management.

IMO, nothing screams "rookie" or "sloppy veteran" like the rubber band technique or something similar. I've been to camps where an observer comes over and takes a rubber band (or whistle) away from a camper and tosses it in the nearest garbage can.

So true, so true. And then there is the fact that he has to officiate with me too.

MTD, Sr.

Yes, seriously - well respected officials. I started using a whistle in my pocket my first year and it is now what I consider to be a good habit, so I'll keep it [well, now I use an empty Listerine-strip packet]. Do you seriously find that most officials accurately keep track of the arrow in their heads?? I can't imagine using a rubber band - bad example for the players if nothing else.

I am with Z on this one as well. I have never seen an official of any significance use such a device. I have seen people who are not so knowledgeable use a whistle from time to time. But I am talking about someone that might actually work a varsity game, but are not at all in the top echelon. I have never seen a college official even try such a thing and I have never been to a camp where this was advocated. So maybe this is something that is allowed where you live. Where I live you would be laughed at big time by the so called big wigs that work games or assign them.

Peace

I'll look for an opportunity to ask about this at camp this weekend. Keeping track of the arrow in a variety of ways has never been disparaged by anyone I have worked with. Like I said, I find it to be a good technique to keep me alert (or make me aware of inattentiveness) during a game, and having confidence in the arrow pays off.

What are you going to do when you forget to move the whistle (or device)?

Peace

I have heard the following comment at camps when a <b>few</b> officials were spotted using this technique......<i>"Not ready yet."</i>

I agree with Bob J's original comment, as well as Z's and JRut's.

Not worry about it and keep track of the arrow as best as I can.

It is astonishing how someone can be so completely wrong, with such consistency. I personally think (if it were possible) harder than if you were completely right all of the time. congrats! You are an entertaining read.

My point is that if you mess up than you are in the same boat without the device. If you are so reliant on a device, then you lose your own ability to think through what just took place. If nothing else, I would think you would want to remember why we are giving the ball back to a particular team.

Peace

The above should be the ultimate goal.

I was being evaluated during a Christmas Tournament about 4 years ago, the evaluator came in at halftime and asked be about a call I made in the 1st quarter. I told him I couldn't remember the play. He tried to remind me, and I nodded my head like he jarred my memory. Needless to say at the end of the game when I got my copy he checked the "Not ready for post season play" box and commented that I have a memory lapse. His quote was if you can't remember what happened 8 minutes ago, how are you going to resolve a possession arrow discrepancy? He also told me that I have to manage the game on the court and in my head. If you can't do both you're never going to make it.

And you just assume that he's right.

You don't remember every single play that happens. For him to expect you to remember something just cause he focused on it is idiotic.