Hey all.....

As I embark on my basketball officiating career tomorrow, I wanted to ask all you vets out there for some basic advice. Simply put, what important points woould you stress to us newbies to keep in mind as we approach our first game? I've coached and played for over 35 years and although we all think we know it all, getting out there with the striped shirt is a different story! Any advice you can provide is much appreciated!!!

Not necessarily a vet, but:

Call the obvious
Have fun
Blow your whistle and stop
Take your time while hurrying.

Welcome.

First, I emphasize solid mechanics. As a new official, you will get more attention with good mechanics than your knowledge of the rules. Next, I guess would be your knowledge of the rules. Read the rule book, and official's manual from cover to cover. Then do it again. Officiate a few games and then read the case book from cover to cover. Read through the rules several times every season. I have been officiating for 13 seasons and I still read the rules every year several times. I learn new stuff all the time. Your having played and coached for so long gives you a good foundation in the game. You do however have to approach it from a different mindset than the coaching mindset. Next, look and act professional, hussle and have fun.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!

Just kidding....Welcome to the advocation that is very rewarding and an avenue to make some great friends and stay involved in the game that you love.

As for your question, go to the following thread which was discussed earlier on this site.

http//www.officialforum.com/thread/3041

Tarheelref:

Welcome to the profession. I too began my officiating career after I quit playing and coaching. I have found officiating to be an excellent way to "stay in touch" with the game, the players and the coaches. I have only been refereeing 3 years but, I would recommend the following:

1. Be sharp with your mechanics (remember how you could spot that "rookie" official with the poor mechanics?)
2. Referee the defense
3. SLOW DOWN
4. Hustle
5. Be consistent
6. Be yourself
7. Finally, have fun

Good luck and let us know how it went.

You have probably heard all these already but my top ones are:

1. Strong whistle! Strong whistle! When giving that
strong whistle get your arm up, open fist or closed depending on the situation. (Did I say strong whistle?)

2. Slow down! After giving your strong whistle give a count of 3 before lowering your arm. If a foul go to
a spot on the floor to report. Go to that same spot every
time. Get in the habit of pointing ball direction and
where the ball will get put in play for all fouls &
violations.

3. Don't call what you can't explain! If it looks ugly or
you're not so sure of the rule let it go. You don't have
to prove to anyone that you know the rules, they already
know that you don't and they'll tell you so whether you're
right or wrong! ;)

4. Hardest part: trust your partner! Don't look at the
ball if it's out of your primary. Learn how to track the
ball using your peripheral vision and by the activity of
the players.

Finally have fun & let us know how it goes.

I've posted this before, but here it is again. The best way you can prepare yourself for your first game is to go to the zoo and take a tape recorder. Record about one hour at the howler monkey cage. Then go home, lock yourself in a small closet and play the tape at full volume in a continuous loop while running in place for about 2 hours. Every 10 minutes, look at the tape recorder, hold out your hand in a stop sign motion and say, "That's enough, coach."

Now, you know what to expect.

Be vocal
 

When I did my first game, I had a hard time coordinating my mechanics and my voice commands. Be sure to use your voice to call the violations and ball possession.

Sometimes the hands don't want to work at the same speed as the brain, but the voice always works.

Also, try to be sharp, but don't get dissapointed if you kick or miss calls. I know that during my first game this year, I was always one-step behind the calls. I'd be a bit too slow on my whistle. I've improved greatly and so will you with experience.

REn

Had a similar situation last night. Doing a freshman girls game (we all know how much fun those are), and it was my partner's very first game. He was very nervous and it really showed. In the first half, he blew his whistle to stop play but did not put up the fist or open hand so I was having trouble determining exactly what he had. He also was not chopping the clock. We talked about this during dead ball situations and discussed it quite a bit at half-time. He improved tremendously in the second half and you could see his confidence improve. I never had a problem with his calls (judgement) and court coverage, just with his mechanics. He said he was thinking so hard about looking good and making the right call, that he was rushing everything and his mechanics were going down the tube. We all get better with the more games we do. The best advice I was given when I started was slow down, have fun, and call what you see -- not what you "think" you see. Good luck with your games.

everyone has great advice! I thikn one of the most important things is knowing the rules, but also having fun and smiling, if the players and fans can see that you are having fun, they will too! Good luck, and stick with it

Doug