Great advice. I'm gonna start carrying a pen in all my games.

Only two(2) spelling mistakes in this one too. Your class must be soooooo proud of you. Don't forget to show the little sh!ts this post. :D

Now that I got all that out of my system, Deej, that really is a helpful way to describe the principle.

You're not the only one who's used this, so don't take this personally.

I hate this trope (tripe also works here). The fans may not pay to see you officiate, but the administrators are paying you to officiate.

Am I the only one who grabbed the pen after his post?? :D

Missing steps along the baseline and in the paint is an area where many coaches are unforgiving, especially if you're working with a partner who's catching the steps and blowing his/her whistle.

I don't generally beat myself up when a coach gives me grief (politely) about missing a travel, but when they start giving my P grief about calling the travels along the baseline when I'm not...then I get upset. If my partner's catching hell because he's being watchful and I'm not, then I get frustrated 'cause I sure owe him a better game then what I've been calling.

I'm new to the officiating thing and I've said this before in other posts: I haven't reached the experience level yet to grasp the subtle nuances of the "game interrupter," whether it's a 3-second lane violation or traveling or whatever. Perhaps as my experience level increases, I will gain insight into this vague and mystical concept which currently befuddles me. :confused:

For right now I may or may not agree with the rules as written, but I study and practice and train in the hopes to be hired to enforce them without bias or prejudice.

I don't agree with paying taxes either, but I haven't missed an April 15th yet.... :D

That is pretty profound and a good way to look at it. I'm impressed! :D

The best way to sum it up is getting an open versus a closed look.

Unlike the pin thing, hold up both hands in front of your face, one infront of the other. You can see the hand closest to you but the other hand is blocked from view...that's a closed look, also called being in a stack.

Now hold them up like you are about to clap, you can now see both hands, the space between them, and what is behind them through that space...that's an open look.

By moving to get and maintain that type of look, you will always have your defender's status...referee the defense...know the status of the ball...you'll miss fewer travels...plus you will be able to referee off ball and on ball at the same time, within your primary.

Does the pen have to match the dominant color of the jersey?

Only in certain local associations.

I did. The hands analogy is good too. Thanks for all the great advice. Looking forward to my next game to work on some of this stuff.

Go ahead, take 1 more wild and exciting stab at life! Assert your creativity! Free yourself! Question authority as you did when you were young and carefree, before you were ground down by care and disappointment, saddled with responsibility (not to mention the high cost of that special little pill to help "when the moment's right").

Use a pencil instead.

But, what do I do when the coach tells me to get the lead out? :confused:

That's when you take one of them little pills.

Some of the coaches I've worked with, no pill is necessary.

With some other coaches, the whole box o' pills wouldn't help.

Costs ya, what, thirty bucks a year? :D

Of course, you could always switch over to the "whenever in a 36-hour span the moment is right" pill.

Do what you usually do. Take the lead out yourself.