Calling Official goes opposite
 

I have done a couple of games and am finding the switches with calling officials going opposite to be cumbersome and time consuming. (NCAA - Mens) How do you feel about it?

I really feel that when calling official stays table side it speeds the game up. I never really had any major problems with coaches after making a call. I just pretended they were my wife and used selective hearing.

I got over it this summer. It really is not that big of a deal.

How does the speed of the game change that much? Basketball is a game where the clock runs most of the time. I guess if that is a concern, but I always wonder why people are worried about something that change the game a couple of minutes (if it even has that kind of effect in the first place).

Peace

Maybe it just feels awkward since it is different and relatively new. I was unable to do much over the summer - rehabbing a knee. I went to one camp but was only able to watch.

I mentioned the speed of the game because it seems that many of the mechanics changes in the past - and I admit - mostly at HS level have been to "keep the game going", "avoid unecessary delays" etc. - at least in my state. I agree with you that a few minutes one way or another really should not matter - however I'm sure others would disagree with me.

The mechanic to go table side had nothing to do with the speed of the game. The mechanic was used to allow better communication for officials and coaches. It was shown to just have coaches ***** and moan at the officials rather than add to the game, so they got rid of the mechanic. I have some mixed emotions about it, but this is what I did a long time ago so it could not be that hard to adjust to.

Peace

At least the NC2A Womens are still table side!!!!!!!! Love it.

I'm not a fan of going opposite. I don't want to have to explain a partner's call, I will, however, be ready to explain my own. It doesn't make sense to me.

Why do you have to explain their call? I do not explain that many calls when I go table side in HS games. I tell them to ask them when they come this way. Do you explain violation calls and there is not a switch?

Peace

You give the same answer I give when asked about something that wasn't my call or area. My point was that the reason we started to go table side was so that if there was a question, the right person would be there to answer. We are told over and over that we need to communicate better with coaches. Taking us away from the table hinders our ability to do so.

I agree that we can communicate better across the board, but where you are after a call does not make that automatic. And just like any call I might make, I am not explaining all of them. And I certainly was not explaining something I did not see or do not know. Even in the HS game we do not long switch so it would not be unusual that you do not go table side after a foul. And the one thing about college coaches, they are much smarter and knowledgeable than HS coaches. They would just use that time to complain. They knew damn well why a lot of things were called; they just would try to influence officials by talking to them. And with all the emphasis on the antics of the coaches, they will just have to get over it quickly.

Peace

The mechanic to go opposite is no big deal and it wasn't really that long ago that we stopped doing it. The official who stays beside the coach does not have the burden of explaining his/her partner's call. Like Rut said, the college coaches are smart enough to know what was called and why. If they know there is one official on the crew who will listen to them all night, they will use that to complain all night.
The emphasis was on communicating and someone felt we were doing that too much. At least that is a partial reason for the switch. Explaining every, the majority or a large portion of calls is not necessary.

Absolutely. I only respond when asked a legitimate question by the the coach. I think that sending the calling official away will lead to more problems and antics by the coaches since they will be trying to communicate across the court.

The reason it was chanced because the purpose of the mechanic was not successful. Coaches still would have antics if you were right in front of them. And Tommy made the point that this was not very long we did it this way in the first place. Also it was clearly said by Hank Nichols that you still can give an explanation to a coach before going across. College coaches are smarter than HS coaches and understand the game much better. And college coaches were largely the reason this mechanic was changed. This should not be that big of a deal. Coaches and officials will just have to adjust. And if you have good communication skills you will tell the coach what you do not know and who to talk to. If they cannot deal with that, it is too bad. You do not explain every call anyway. And if you did maybe this was the reason the mechanic was not looked in the best of light.

Peace

I agree the college coaches know the game better and don't need an explanation. My concern is that the college trends tend to trickle down to high school and I think going table side is very valuable at the high school level. Like I said earlier, they want us to communicate so why take away a good time for us to be available to coaches. Working in Iowa, I hate the fact that our coaches are on the bench. We have new bench decorum adapatations that are going to be a mess. OK, I'm starting to rant about other stuff. Sorry.

I saw a college game yesterday (Wake Forest v. Mars Hill) and it looked like the officials were having some trouble remembering to go opposite, but other than that, it seemed to work. The coaches didn't seem to have any problem with it.

The new jackets on the other hand....:eek: Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread.

Junker, you make it sound like we have been using this mechanic for 20 years and all of a sudden we changed back without any good reason. This mechanic was only in place like 2004 or 2003. This mechanic was not even around 5 years and NCAA Men's and NF changed the same year. The Women's side did this first.

There is a difference in communicating and talking and explaining every possible situation. They felt we were brought into conversation that was completely unnecessary. And I can tell you I probably talk a lot less now than I ever did with the table side mechanic (at the HS level as well) because I did not see a necessary reason to explain or even talk to the coach. If the coach did not know what I called after I reported, chances are they would not understand with me saying anything at that point either. You would be amazed how often coaches would leave me alone when I focused my attention on the court and not the official. You keep talking as if things are going to go in the toilet. I think that is a little dramatic and I think coaches will adjust just like they always do. And if you do not know how to take care of business if a coach is yelling across the court (especially now with the bench decorum directives at all college levels), then you are the people you work with probably are not really ready for a lot of college games. You will be fine and coaches will be fine. You do not need to hold their hand every time you call something. And if they changed the mechanic tomorrow for HS believe me there would not be Armageddon.

Peace