This is my first post and tonight I did my first game (middle school). Wow! Can you have fun and be scared at the same time? I think I did OK for a first time. Obviously my mechanics are not fluid yet. I have to think before making my signals etc... A couple of questions. 1. At times I would get confused as to who was going which way (Blue or Red?) Is this normal at first? 2. I was not always doing a fist on foul calls (sometimes an open palm rather than fist). I would catch myself after making the call. Any suggestions or comments from you vets? By the way, I worked with a veteran official and he was really helpful; he encouraged me and gave me some constructive criticism. I have just discovered this forum in the last week, it's terrific!

Jay R, Welcome. It sounds like you had a pretty good game for your first time out.

If you have trouble remembering which way to point, put your open hand up and say the color that will have possession in your best "outdoor voice". That way if you point the wrong direction you have verbalized correctly.
(if I am wrong about this mech. someone will correct me) :)

There is much advice to be had from the "vets" on this board. Come here often. Ask questions.

Get a mentor if possible. That way you can have a helpful partner even if you don't work the same games with him/her. Is there any chance that you could be scheduled with the same "helpful vet" for several games. The more you can work with vets that are interested in helping the new guy, the better off you will be.

Mike

Reminds me of my first time. College days, just completed a bball officiating course with my roommate. AD calls at 3:00 has game at 6:00 and no officials. Asks if I am interested, I say sure. He says "do you know anyone else", I mistakenly mention roommate. So we are both brand spanking new, doing Jr. High, btw, he says "oh, it's just Jr. High". The only thing I really remember of the whole ordeal is when I called a travel in the second half. Some lady in the stands on the first row right behind where I was inbounding the ball says "It's about Goddammed time" really loud after everybody else has quieted. It was ugly.

I never had a problem with hand or fist. I just remembered that when I call a foul, I am mad and have to make a fist. When I call a violation, it is not so bad so just use an open hand. One of the things I did was watch an ncaa game on TV and make the calls with the officials. Use all the proper signals. Your kids think you look stupid but you won't look stupid on friday night at 7:30 when the Varsity game begins and you are doing it.

About which direction we are going, I still have a problem with that after five years of officiating. It helps to know which way the home team always goes in that gym. When you work that gym enough you get the feel. Otherwise, take a moment and look at the bench and then point after yelling the color.

Were the teams really blue and red? I hope one was either light blue or light red. Usually you wouldn't have two dark colors, although at the middle school level you're lucky they have jerseys at all, sometimes.

I have done this too, except I have one of those mirrors that hangs on the back of the door near me so that I can check and make sure that my mechanics don't look sloppy. I don't think there is anything wrong with stating the color first and then pointing in the right direction. The best advice I ever got on mechanics was to slow down. Once you blow the whistle, it's you're stage and all eyes are on you. They aren't going anywhere. Just don't take too long or it will seem like you are guessing.

Keep coming here, you will learn so much and you will get answers to a lot of questions before they come up in games. Plus you'll get answers to questions you didn't know you had yet.

Actually, the officials manual, page 42, number 260.d, states "point in the direction of the throw-in team's basket and call out their shirt color". I do this in reverse order (sort of). I blow the whistle, open hand goes up, call the color, then point direction.

When I was first learning/polishing my mechanics, I stood in front of a full-length mirror and practiced. Makes you feel kind of dumb when you first do this, but it really helps with the mechanics.

Get a Videotape of Yourself
 

If you notice that one of your games is being videotaped, ask the school for a copy. Usually they'll comply, especially if you hand them a blank tape and a business card with your address. Warning: watching it can be very humbling. You will see yourself doing things a lot differently than you thought during the game. But it can help you correct some bad mechanics (arm not straight up on fouls and violations, leaning to look around a player, poor posture, etc.). I have corrected several bad habits this way.

This is excellent advice about the film. Yesterday I got a film from my game last Friday night. Varsity boys 61-60, quite a game. The hair on my arms was standing up just watching it on tape. It wasn't perfectly called but I was definitely satisfied. Actually some of the things I thought were ugly at the time, weren't all that bad. I got this tape just by calling the AD on Monday and requesting it, though had they lost I probably wouldn't have called.

What makes me feel dumb is when I do that and say something to "the other guy"... and "he" answers.

This still isn't as bad as my all time most embarassing moment. I signalled the direction and then called, "Blue!" but the teams were Red and White.1 2 After years of counselling, I"m ju3st starting to get over it....3

First time
 

Hey Jay, this is my first year also. What I do is everytime down the court I say to myself ok Red is coming at me. So if the ball goes off Red I know I'm pointing the other way. And I do vice versa on Blue. Hope it works for you.

Juulie - maybe you should have just called "pink" so one team could inbound to the other.

This still isn't as bad as my all time most embarassing moment. I signalled the direction and then called, "Blue!" but the teams were Red and White.1 2 After years of counselling, I"m ju3st starting to get over it....3 [/B][/QUOTE]

I did this exact thing about a month ago Julie and it didn't bother me a bit. I jogged over to the table and before reporting the foul, I said loud enough for the table people, coaches, and players to hear, "Blue, where the heck did I get blue". We all had a laugh and went on, no biggie. Never let em see ya sweat.

Here's a clue: Give the color but don't point. The
players will usually head in the direction you need to
point. If they don't then just look at the bench to see
who's going in what direction. First half teams go away
from their bench. Second half teams go towards their bench.
It's simple, you'll get it!