Interesting evening with a rookie
 

Ok. I volunteered to go to a scrimmage game. I have a big gap before my first game so I don't want the rust on too thick.

I get there and there are five refs total. I hadn't been told by the assignor that there would be two of us veterans and three rookies. But I like teaching and encouraging new people so I'm cool with it.

We shift on and off. At one point I'm sitting on the bench with one of the rookies. He leans over and says, "You called in my area twice." I raise my eyebrows inwardly. I'm surprised to have a rookie with courage enough to say something like that to a veteran. They're usually more shy. I questioned him more about when this was. And it turns out to be my problem of this season so far. At lead, I am making calls in C's half of the key. I need to have a more patient whistle. He assured me that the calls were right but they were in his area. Still interesting to be corrected by a rookie.

A few moments later, I notice one of the other rookies giving a five second count for closely guarded. Here in Washington, we don't have that when the ball is being dribbled for girls basketball. I mentioned that. The rookie I was sitting with says, "Yes you do." Eyebrows raise again. "No we don't I said." "Oh yes, last clinic Soandso said so." I told him he needed to talk to the other veteran working.

Again, a moment later he told me that the rule now was that if a player dribbling lost the dribble due to the touch of another player, he/she couldn't dribble again. OK, I'm not backing down on this one. I found it in the rulebook and showed him. He tells me he doesn't want to argue. Soandso told him that was how the rule was. I told him we do argue the rules, that's part of being an official but then we go to the book and get the correct answer.

I talked to Soandso. Of course there was more to the story. Meanwhile it will be interesting working with this new guy. I think there will be some ground rules set.

Rita

You'll have to work with him again? When all else fails, remember mick's timeless advice: Get in, get done, get out.

And if he gets too awful, send that rookie to us. We'll straighten him out!

It happens occasionally, in my experience, because the rookies have just completed the rules and mechanics classes; while many vets do no "refresher" work between seasons. So the rooks know all the new rules (because they've been stressed in class) and the PCAs are fresh in their minds.

But it sounds like your guy wanted to show you how much he knew and was just shooting off his mouth a little. Sounds to me like you handled it well, though, when you knew you were right. Could've hammered him but it doesn't sound like you went that way.

You shoulda T'd him up....Oh, wait a minute... :D

Good catch. Give him the stop sign first.

I'm not the hammering type. (Except for deserving coaches.)

I'm not certain whether or not he realized I was a veteran. I was watching him when he was in T once and he's waving the other rookie who is L to go over because the ball had changed to the other side.

Still, when I was a rookie, and even now, I tend to phrase things as a question to higher ranking officials.

Rita

Pathetic Coach Arguments? :confused: