In game pointers...

[Adam]

No, Bullwinkle's friend Rocky.

[Coltdoggs]

I agree about it being a focus thing....

I guess I'm just being cognisent that I know that when doing mulitple games there can come times when that focus can fade or be tested for whatever reason....fans, unruly coach, being tired etc....I find some of my "tricks" to help me stay focused, even when I have a lapse!

[wisref2]

I'll admit right off that my statement isn't realistic but I'm going to make it anyway. Nobody should be working 4 games in a row - the brain just can't handle it, even if the body can. Watch a grade school tourney and notice how the best varsity officials are sucking up the place by their fourth, fifth and sixth games.

That said, mechanics are a great way to keep focused. Hold the ball the way you're supposed to during dead balls (toward the direction you're going), communicate fouler/shooter to partners, return signals on the number of shots, etc.

[bigdog5142]

I borrowed a trick I saw from volleyball officials to keep track of the correct arrow...I use a rubber band around my hand. As I face the table, whichever hand the band is around is the direction the arrow SHOULD be. (I do this ESPECIALLY with the lower level games...JH and below...as the scorekeepers are usually somewhat incompetent.)

[wisref2]

There is a product on the market that looks neat for keeping track of the arrow. It's a small, plastic toggle switch that attaches to the bottom of a Fox 40 whistle. Click one way and it shows white, click the other way and it shows dark. Guess its up to you to remember which direction the teams are going.

Originally Posted by wisref2

There is a product on the market that looks neat for keeping track of the arrow. It's a small, plastic toggle switch that attaches to the bottom of a Fox 40 whistle. Click one way and it shows white, click the other way and it shows dark. Guess its up to you to remember which direction the teams are going.

Not THAT thing again...

[wisref2]

Have you ever used it? I looks kind of silly to me, but you never know. Better than switching whistles back and forth, which really looks silly. You can see the thing at:

http://www.refshop.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=515

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by wisref2

There is a product on the market that looks neat for keeping track of the arrow. It's a small, plastic toggle switch that attaches to the bottom of a Fox 40 whistle. Click one way and it shows white, click the other way and it shows dark. Guess its up to you to remember which direction the teams are going.

The product you are describing is called the Flip Switch by Sport Switches of Meadow Vista, California. Yes, I have two of them. I do not use them when officiating real games. But the Flip switch comes in handy when officiating CYO games, summer camp games, etc. where there is no AP Arrow. They do alter the sound of the whistle slightly enough and that slight change in sound can be detected by anyone who is familiar with the sound of a Fox-40.

With apologies to the late J. Dallas Shirley, never, I repeat, never use a Flip Switch while officiating a real game. And don't use a rubber band on your wrists or an object in your in your pocket; it makes you look like rookie. Train yourself to remember who has the AP Arrow, or have Daryl "The Preacher" Long as your partner.

MTD, Sr.

[bigdog5142]

I don't know if it would change any of your opinions, but I don't wear the rubber band around my wrist...I put it around my hand under my thumb...I don't think it's really noticable. I could be wrong...but I've never thought of it not looking "professional." Personally, I'd rather not have anything in my pockets...that can cause the pants to sag or have "bulges" in them...I don't need an extra "bulge" in my pants...

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by bigdog5142

I borrowed a trick I saw from volleyball officials to keep track of the correct arrow...I use a rubber band around my hand.

When I see an official wearing a rubber band, I mentally place them in the same category as officials who wear a watch. That's just me though.

You do know that rubber bands are illegal for players to wear, don't you?

[Mark Padgett]

OK - seriously for a change. I use a relatively small chap stick in my pocket to keep track of possession. When a held ball is called, I can slap my pocket to see which side it's on. I face the table and the side the team's bench is on indicates whose ball it is. I used to use a quarter, but then I actually had to reach inside my pocket to see in which pocket it was. Something that bulges (notice I passed up the opportunity to make a joke here) that you can just feel works much better. Just be sure it's not really big.

See - I told you "seriously for a change".

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

When I see an official wearing a rubber band, I mentally place them in the same category as officials who wear a watch. That's just me though.

You do know that rubber bands are illegal for players to wear, don't you?

So? What does that have to do with officials? We wear other equipment that would be illegal for players to wear....a lanyard. Unless you can show me something in the book that says that it's illegal for officials to wear rubber bands, you have no grounds to suggest as much. Now, I agree that they shouldn't (becasue it looks bad and for other reasons), but it's not forbidden.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

So? What does that have to do with officials? We wear other equipment that would be illegal for players to wear....a lanyard. Unless you can show me something in the book that says that it's illegal for officials to wear rubber bands, you have no grounds to suggest as much. Now, I agree that they shouldn't (becasue it looks bad and for other reasons), but it's not forbidden.

The wearing of rubber bands by players was banned by the NFHS for safety reasons. If that's not a concern of you or your association, so be it. Hey, if you or any of your fellow officials out there want to wear rubber bands, be my guest. Knock yourself out. You're completely right. There's nothing that definitively states that officials can't wear them. My own opinion is that not only does it look bad for an official to wear something that a player isn't allowed to wear for safety reasons, it also looks as unprofessional as hell. And my association shares my opinion. They've banned officials from wearing them.

Different strokes for different folks though. Shrug.

[truerookie]

[QUOTE=Camron Rust]So? What does that have to do with officials? We wear other equipment that would be illegal for players to wear....a lanyard.

C. Rust, I agreed with you up until you said a lanyard was illegal for officials to wear. I draw you attention to page 14 of 2007-2009 Official Manual.