Held Ball Mechanics?
 

When you have a held ball situation do you go up with an open hand then the thumbs or just the thumbs?

Thumbs up! However I used have a one partner who'd go up with a touchdown sign.... by the way he was a state finals football umpire several times.

Scooby, Check on the T-Mechanics thread, post #30 by Mark Padgett. That should be a lot of help.:)

Nice...Thanks

See NFHS Signal #3, titled "Stop clock for jump/held ball"

The official signal is, as Bob Jenkins said, #3 - the thumbs up.

However, I've had several evaluators (camps & otherwise) who say to give the open-palm stop clock signal, then give the thumbs up for a held ball. They say that it can reduce problems if you have a double whistle and your partner thinks there was a violation or foul before the held ball.

That said, do what's accepted in your area.

That's odd. An umpire should never even come close to making that signal! :p

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS! I picked up this mechanic last year and it has helped me out of several double whistles since then...whether it be a timeout about to be granted by a parnter, a foul...you come right up with the thumbs and he/she comes in with a foul you have a problem...

An official gave me the same rationale last night. But my question is, what is the Federation mechanics?

Good grief! If he gives the touchdown signal for a held ball, I'd hate to see what he does to signal a successful 3 pointer!!! Maybe something like this?

http://www.moco.org/images/pic01.jpg

ha ha i have seen this before...usually by an old timer...did this use to be the signal (perhaps before the 3-pt shot?)

Yes. Dr. Naismith showed it to me personally. ;)

What Bob Jenkins said - the held ball (thumbs-in-the-air) signal is the stop-the-clock signal.