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As trail in 2 man mechanics I prefer to work higher than most of my partners. For me, this opens up my field of vision to be able to see off-ball screens, etc. As a player shoots, I then close down to help on the rebounding. I lhave had a couple of people suggest that I work lower, somewhere between the free throw line and the top of the key. I just dont like the view from there. What do you folks prefer?
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I'm in my first year so take this with a grain of salt :). I have been instructed by several vets to position myself a few steps above the top of the key. If the ball works it's way down to the baseline I slide down a little because I think it helps me get a better look at the action in the corner.
That normally works from me, but I have gotten burned when I drop down (see story about starting a Sat.) |
"Get into the game!!!"
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Have worked for 13 years now. I think it really depends on what your State Supervisors expect from you. In Nebraska, ours expects us as trail when the ball goes to the opposite side and especially during the shot to drop down to at least the free throw line extended or lower so as to officiate the back side rebounds and skirmishes that happen off ball. You do get a good look when you drop down but you better be ready to pin your ears back and sprint for the other end on a long rebound of stolen skip pass. Works for me and I am not the fastest guy in the world. Girls games you can work low. Some boys games you can work low. Just read the game from the beginning and adjust to get the best look through the play as the game goes on. Good luck.
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eventually.....
You know someone was eventually going to say it, so I will and get it over with.
Never, ever work a game high. It can get you into a lot of trouble and sets a bad example for the kids. :D |
You blow the whistle from the midcourt line and the next thing you hear is something about AT&T or MCI. I try to work between where a trail would be in three man and a center would be. I have been criticized though for that tactic but as long as my mentors are telling me to be that low, I stay there. Most of the people I see working way up high have knee problems or age problems. In either case, I have trouble understanding why they are out there and I am sitting in the stands criticizing them for where they are standing.:(
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Re: eventually.....
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When lead has eight players and trail has 2, trail is too high. I hate looking through a crowd and seeing trail standing at the half court line. Work within a pace from the top of the key down to the free throw line extended... Work higher during resets and spread offences.
Someone also mentioned the key to success. Get into the game. Make the adjustments necessary to get angles. You will rarely get the right angle parked at the half court line. And no one ever said you have to stand still. Come out on the floor when the ball goes high on the opposite corner. Be prepared to beat feet! Just don't bend over, it looks really bad! |
work where you see best
I try to use pre season games, and rec league games to explore different angles. I use the positions in HS games that I feel i see best.
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I have worked all levels at 2 man and Steve is correct from all evaluations I have received.
Pistol |
It's all about working the arc. You need to be where you get the best angle between players. If you are high and can't see something you have to move lower to "get the angle" if you are low and can't see something........well you know "the rest of the story".
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if you can't see, move to where you can! You don't want to be "standing on a dime" and miss the play. Use your judgement
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While we are talking about positioning in 2-man....anyone here work strong side on lead? I've been working it into my game but sometime I feel like a fish out of water over there. I wise official (Note to Jurrasic...I didnt say OLD....just wise so it wasnt you! :) ) told me once...if you have nothing to look at in your area of coverage....move to where you do.
Comments? Larks - Veteran In Training |
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If you want to improve YOUR coverage,try moving to another continent!:D |
This is just the discussion I was looking for.
Last Sat. night I was working a H.S. boys game. The teams were exceptionally fast for their level. I was trail. A1 had the ball on my side. He decided to dribble away from me with B1 closely guarding him. I had the visible count and followed the two about half way across the court, top of the key. I didn't want to get right beside them in case A1 wanted to change directions quickly or pass quickly back to a team memeber. So, I was behind them. Well, I got straight lined and of course B1 made a steal. B1 knocked the ball out of A1's hands straight toward B1's basket (A1's backcourt). It probably would have been a break away lay up for B1 except that the ball hit me as I was trying to get out of the way. A1 recovered the ball in his backcourt and dribbled back to his frontcourt with Coach B and the fans howling all the way. How far should an official go across court, as Trail in two man, when following a play? RookieDude |
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If you move on the court, you should also move closer to the far end-line. Your path should resemble the 3-point arc, but be deeper than it. If the ball is on the far sideline (but still in your area), you could be at mid-court, but you should be at the division line or in backcourt. |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bob jenkins
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You can go as far over to the other side of the floor as you have to in order to officiate the play. If the defense has a hard trap in the corner by the division line on the other side of the floor, you better get over there to see the play. As was stated in an earlier reply, you must make sure that you stay out of the passing lanes when doing this. This may make you be in the back court to make the call. Remember that there is no "magic spot" on the floor for officiating a play. You must go where the play takes you, especially as the T in the 2 person game. You may want to talk about this play in your pregame, where you have had to go all the way over to see this trap play, and then there is a change of possession. Your partner may want you to just get down the floor on the side you are now nearest, and let him slide across to change responsibilites. |
Thank you for the replies.
I like your positioning bigwhistle. Good point on the possible switch. This would be something my partner and I would definitely want to pregame. I wonder if this is an approved mechanic though? The other reply I got was to never go more than mid-court. Hmmmm, two replies...two different answers. Also, I was not at the F'in top of the key...the players were. I got straight lined behind them, thus the ball hit me when B1 knocked it loose from A1. RookieDude |
It's a matter of comfort level. I'm pretty fast so I follow plays aggresively. I will go close to midcourt as trail to follow presses on the weak side backcourt. Once the players are on the frontcourt, the only time I come that far out is if I step into the backcourt to cover a high weak side trap. Lead should have worked himself out to the sideline too to cover out-of-bounds.
The further out on the court you feel you have to go, the higher you should work in order to avoid incidences like the one you encountered. You could pregame a situation like this...or you could just beat feat down as best you can and get back in position. Either way, you will be out of sync with your partner especially if he/she doen't pick up the switch quickly. I don't recomend getting all the way to midcourt unless lead has eight in the paint and you have two hacking and whacking in your AOR. |
We have three person crews for all varsity games. It gives you a lot more coverage than two man. It is a state rule (Alabama) that we have 3 officials instead of 2.Where do you call 2 man? (Which state)
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I've called in Louisiana and Illinois. Neither state has come out and ruled that schools will use 3 man crews as you say Al has done. Some associations in northern La have said they will only provide 3 man crews. In Il, the AD's have a lot of latitude. Use of 3 man crews is slowly spreading but there will alway be a place for 2 man mechanics up through JV and in most rural school varsity contests.
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I work alot of 3 person mechanics, so I catch myself working like a "c" official a lot in 2 person games. I usually can get back well enough, and if I can't just button-hook and keep the angle. I feel I can help better with rebounding angles here. A lot depends on wether you are off ball or on-ball.
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Working at the "C" position is great as long as you are ready and fast enough to swing back around to help weak side when your lead comes strong side.
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You have been away too long.
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And Illinois the ADs do not have latitude as much as you think. Maybe the smaller schools do, but the bigger schools (at least assignments) are done by assignors. I have had about 45 games this year, about 41 of them have been 3 Person. I think you have been gone too long my friend. :) When did you live in Illinois and where? Peace [Edited by JRutledge on Feb 6th, 2002 at 07:09 PM] |
I'm a returnee... I just moved to Carbondale in August after a 20 year stint in the USAF. There are no assigning bodies down here although I would love to see it. I guess we are just too disjointed in the south.
I came up from the Shreveport area (Barksdale AFB) where our association was the only game in town. They assigned all games in the northwest corner of the state and it has been exclusively 3 man crews for all HS contests for about 4 years now. Shreveport is a pretty big metro area but not like Chicago land. Here in Southern Illinois, the ADs do all the contracting. The only assigning I have seen has been at the college level. I have found three associations with pretty good membership but I have this sneaking suspicion most members are geared more for baseball and football than basketball. Don't get me wrong. There are a number of good officials here. Since they are more spread out, most don't see 50 game schedules and I think it shows. My game will suffer because I have to drop down a grade and take a number of games I would not have considered last year like fresh/soph and JV games. One has to get in front of the AD's get games down the road. Assignors? I wish! |
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Ron hit the nail on the head. The Trail in a two-man crew has to work the arc. Assume (I know what happens when you assume) that Team A has the ball and is shooting at the basket to the left of the Scorer/Timer Table (as you sit at the table) and the Trail is Table Side. The Trail, depending on ball position, can range around three point from below free throw line extended to his left all the way to the right of a line drawn from one basket to the other and be in the backcourt when he is in this position. When a shot is taken, the Trail as to be ready to move to his left around the arc for rebounding officiating. When a shot is taken it is also about angles. The players' positions dictate how far to the left the Trail should go. |
Class AA schools have them.
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Assignors are mainly for those conferences that are Class AA. But almost all the Class A schools are assigned by ADs unless you are close to the Chicago Area. But and if you work in Central Illinois around Springfield or Peoria, all the conferences around there (Class AA) have assignors. But then again without the assignors it can be easier to get games. It is just a matter of where you want to travel. Peace |
Girls Going to Three-Whistle Mechanics Next Year
In the Dayton, OH area, the vast majority of boys varsity games use three officials, but none of the girls have used three. It's my understanding that next year, the big-school leagues around here are going to three whistles for girls varsity for the first time. The small school leagues will still be two whistles for girls varsity games. Don't think it's a Title IX sitch, but rather a move to keep some of the older, more experienced officials (who maybe have lost a step along the way) in the game.
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In the northern VA area we have gone to 3-person on all varsity games. We used to only do 3-person in specific districts and then 3-person in all district/regional tournaments. We also do 3-person in the private school league -- we only do the girls games. I think the boys games are done by IAABO group in DC (Board 12??). Our schools are A, AA, AAA depending on enrollment and the A & AA girls play fall ball (think this changes next year as the result of a lawsuit).
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