Primary coverage-did I miss somethng

[Kelvin green]

Did I miss something in primary court coverage?

Last week in doing a pre-game with two other officials there were a couple of things that came up that disturbed me.(There were three of us travelling to do four games so we had plenty of distance and time to discuss a pregame for Drake can you spell West Desert?)

-We were talking about primary coverage and how to cover the floor when an official goes stong side. I was told by these two officials and have heard it from at least one other since then, that when an official goes strong side that there is no responsibility for the ball. In fact I was told by one person who claims to have worked some college ball/scrimmages that the lead in an NCAA crew would never pick up the ball, but only referees the low post.

- I also told them that if the ball started in their primary and went straight to the basket they would have first shot at the foul. I was again told I was wrong that because it was coming at me, I had the call all the way and that they would not make the call because they were so far way. Yet I tried to tell them that if I am watching off ball there are times when I will not see the whole play, and they told me that I should have an idea of what's happening out there. Of course I do but I still haven't seen the whole play. Now if a secondary defender steps in that I have been watching steps up and does something then I can call it. (Or it is a swipe/slap that happens right in front of me)

Any comments?

I thought the NF only limited Leads area so that the Lead did not have to reach across the paint to make a call and basically reinforce what the practice had become.

BTW after this wonderful pregame, As lead they both made calls on the outside of the paint way from them (read not in their area)

Have I missed something????

[DrakeM]

Kelvin,
Who were your partners?
First- I worked with a partner this year who told me that he had never worked with someone who worked the baseline as much as I did. So many varsity refs will not go ball side.
I always pick up ball when I rotate ball sid eand have never had anyone call me on it.
Second- In NCAA Men's mechanics, lead rotate's strong side but does not pick up ball. Lead referes low post. That was hard for me to get used to.
Third- I say the same thing. If ball starts in trail's primary, then trail gets first shot. I get the "Yeah I agree," then my partner goes ahead and takes all those calls from the lead anyway.
I just go with the flow.

[Kelvin green]

Marv and Lance were the partners. I guess I dont understand the NCAA thing. When you look at their chart it still show lead with some primary coverage of the ball down low. I can see how it is hard to get used to, I guess they want the lead to stay with the big guys down low but it seems silly to add that much pressure to the trail by making the Trail make an ATT call or for C to go across the paint and make the call.

I generally go with the flow, however I have never seen a couple of officials more adamant abou this stuff.

The tough thing is to have a pre-game and try and get on the same sheet of music and think we agree and they way they want to do it, and then they dont even do what they say. Dont tell them but it did not change the way I reffed that much

[DrakeM]

Kelvin,
First off, consider the source.
And who is Lance? Young guy?
Tell me when they think they are supposed to pick up the drive to the basket that begins in trails primary?
When is the magic point that they are supposed to stop reffing off ball and trail is supposed to GIVE UP the drive to the basket and ref off ball? Do we see a problem here?
The chance of lead making the correct call in that situation
is pretty poor.
I was just talking to Larry and I think in the next meeting, we need to address the inconsistencies that are cropping up in the evaluations that non-varsity people are getting. Another official told us that Friday night, a varsity guy ripped him because he didn't mirror a three point shot from LEAD, that was not in his primary!
This is a HIGH ranking varsity guy.(Nuff said)
If you can think of some things you've heard, let me know and let's try to get everyone on the same page.
STOP THE INSANITY!

[bigwhistle]

If, as the L on a rotation, you immediately pick up the ball then you are looking for trouble. You must continue to referee the post play until you have completed your rotation. When the ball is low enough for the L to worry about it, chances are 2 our of 3 that the next thing to happen will be a shot or a pass to the post.

If both the C (becoming new T because of rotation) and the L are watching the ball, who has the post play? You surely can't expect the poor T becoming new C to have a good look at it. That is why the L must maintain his focus and get wide enough to also help referee the ball as it does go toward the basket.

This same reasoning is why the C becoming new T should have the primary whistle on this play, as he should be in a position to see the whole play, not just the end.

[Kelvin green]

I agree you have to referee the paint. I would think that Trail going to C help covers the backside that lead is abandoning. The old C new trail would be helpingpick up the ball and I agree L should go wide enough to help with the ball...
Lance is in south..

Drake I agree with you. Where do you pick up something that starts in trails area. I ve been to some of the same camps you have. Of course I see the problem here but I needed a reality check. You know spending most of the 2000 season in Macedonia, and not going to a camp last summer made me wonder if I was just imagining something.

I have not heard much because I have not seen any evals. but I was told on Friday night, that I need to talk to the player more, although I only called 5 fouls the first half of the seventeen fouls, and I did not thnk the low post was that bad. ( you know me I love those off ball calls and did not have many) The varsity official told my partner to loosen up and the second haalf gets better. He was stretching a little for some out of his primary, that I would have let go. But I did not talk enuff... If I had called a bunch of nitpicky stuff that I coulda talked em out of I would have agrred, but one team was playing a spread/skip it around offense that did not get inside that much. If I hear of anything else that somebody is promulagating that sounds like insanity I'll let Larry know.