Ugly Game

[firedoc]

I did a middle school game today and it was one ugly affair. Two kids were at the table keeping the scorebooks and neither one was quite sure how to do it. In addition, there was an older woman keeping the clock and she was totally clueless in spite of us going over everything with them before the game.

About 1 minute into the game the kid scoring called me over after a foul on White 33 to tell me that there was no 33 in the book and that he had to add it. I informed the coach that we would shoot the foul shots with the lane cleared and then the 2 technical shots. he only apologized for the book stating that it was his fault because he had copied the numbers from an older game. A minute later, it turned out that he had to re-enter almost everyone's name/number. Needless to say this took a at least 5 minutes to get straight. he kept apologizing to us and to the coaches of the visiting team for the delay.

I also informed him, with a little smile on my face, that he was lucky in that scorebook changes are only penalized once per game and per team.

A Nightmare!

[BktBallRef]

I had two ugly ones. Ugly games and a partner who was pretty sharp but was not very strong "rule book wise."

Girls private school game. Losing team commits some hard fouls in the last 4 minutes of the game. The final foul with 36 seconds to go, was a knee to the,..ur...ah, crotch of the dribbler. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but it was flagrant. My partner called a flagrant technical foul, shoulda been a flagrant personal foul but not biggie there. Then he wacked an asst. coach twice and ejected him. That was fine as I had warned him in the 1st qtr. I considered calling the game at that point since the losing team was down 15 but I let the game finish.

During the captains' meeting of the boys game, my partner tells the captains that we will send out the first player with his shirt untucked, the second will be a delay of game warning and the third will be a T!

During the game, he called BI when a defender slapped the backboard while trying to block a shot.

He called a double dribble on a fumble, a throw-in violation for touching the 2" boundary line, and...well, you get the picture.

Oh, and the losing team finished the game with 3 players on the floor.

All in all, I was lucky to get out alive!

[Mark Dexter]

First week of my vacation, I went and watched my little cousin play in a middle school game. It was a one-ref game, with scorers and timers who were 12 at the oldest. Toward the end of the game, there were a few situations where a basket would be wiped off b/c of a travel, or a close one was really a two, and the scoreboard would show it wrong. My cousin's team won in the end, but I'm not sure how much they won by!

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by BktBallRef
I had two ugly ones. Ugly games and a partner who was pretty sharp but was not very strong "rule book wise."

At least you didn't get stuck with an ugly partner .

[BktBallRef]

Oh yeah, he was ugly too!

[daves]

I feel your pain.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by Mark Dexter
or a close one was really a two, and the scoreboard would show it wrong.

Other Mark - I enjoyed your post, but I didn't understand this part. Do you mean a close two was really a three?

BTW - wish me the best this Saturday. It is my turn to "mentor" two newbies doing three 4th grade games. When we mentor, we stay on the court and shadow them (alternating every once in a while) and comment to them as to what they should be doing during play. Also - we are to blow the whistle when they miss obvious fouls, etc.

Frankly, it's harder than doing a game alone.

[Brian Watson]

Originally posted by BktBallRef
I had two ugly ones. Ugly games and a partner who was pretty sharp but was not very strong "rule book wise."

Girls private school game. Losing team commits some hard fouls in the last 4 minutes of the game. The final foul with 36 seconds to go, was a knee to the,..ur...ah, crotch of the dribbler. I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but it was flagrant. My partner called a flagrant technical foul, shoulda been a flagrant personal foul but not biggie there. Then he wacked an asst. coach twice and ejected him. That was fine as I had warned him in the 1st qtr. I considered calling the game at that point since the losing team was down 15 but I let the game finish.

During the captains' meeting of the boys game, my partner tells the captains that we will send out the first player with his shirt untucked, the second will be a delay of game warning and the third will be a T!

During the game, he called BI when a defender slapped the backboard while trying to block a shot.

He called a double dribble on a fumble, a throw-in violation for touching the 2" boundary line, and...well, you get the picture.

Oh, and the losing team finished the game with 3 players on the floor.

All in all, I was lucky to get out alive!

Way to take one for the team...

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Other Mark - I enjoyed your post, but I didn't understand this part. Do you mean a close two was really a three?

By one, I was referring to a shot. Should have read - a close three-point basket was really a two.

[rainmaker]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark Padgett

BTW - wish me the best this Saturday. It is my turn to "mentor" two newbies doing three 4th grade games. When we mentor, we stay on the court and shadow them (alternating every once in a while) and comment to them as to what they should be doing during play. Also - we are to blow the whistle when they miss obvious fouls, etc.

Frankly, it's harder than doing a game alone.

Mark, I don't feel one bit sorry for you. You know you love it...

(Why does it feel like I'm being mean to Padgett today?)