Inadvertent Horn
 

GJV tourney. I get there to watch the game before mine. There are shot clock horn issues occurring from time to time. The horn would just go off by itself. So before my games we tell coaches to have the kids play to the whistle. everybody nods their heads and away we go. We explain it to everybody and did everything except put an ad on Craigslist.

Horn goes off. All the players standing around. Offensive team holding the ball just outside the key down low. Partner and I just stand there . Finally coach yells "shoot". She does , scores,and we move on, except the other coach is now a good 10 feet on the court screaming, some coach jibberish. :eek: So we stop ,shoot the 2 FT for the T. Ball at division line.

The coach believed we should have done something-she wasn't sure what but something. :rolleyes:

I think we handled the horn issue as right as could be but i am open to other suggestions.

My 2 cents is since every one was stopped by the horn anyway re-explain the issue as some probably didn't understand it in the first place give the ball OOB nearest the spot to offense and play on.

I think you handled it well. If you stopped to explain once you will be expected to do it everytime. The problem was already discussed pregame and from the OP it was discissed to the extreme so I say play on. Reminds me of when my partner gave a warning to a player camped in the lane to move out. Then he called three seconds on the next player at the other end. The coach was upset saying that if one kid gets a warning why not all. I'm just saying if you would have stopped to explain that time what would have happened if the horn went off on a fast break? The opposing coach would have had a legit beef if his players just stopped.

It depends on the level of play. GJV is borderline in my book. Schools are big, varsity teams go to state every year, some players get scholarships, that kind of thing, well it's just too bad for the players that stopped. Small schools where there isn't even a freshman team, kids never played before, their instincts aren't as well developed. Then you do stop, but remind them to play to the whistle next time, Then next time if they pause, use one hand to make a wheeling motion in the air, and say, "play on! play on!"

Also, before the game, you might have the horn sound a couple of times during warm-ups reminding the players to ignore it.

But, wait, did you say shot clock horn? Shot clock in a JV game? that's tough.

Yeah, he's in CA. They use a shot clock at all levels. Thus your first line of advice would be really poor as that mechanic is way too similar to the one used for resetting the shot clock.:(

Hey Nevada. i watched the two Reno guys in action the other night. Game was a 40 point blow out but they put in a very competent and hard working night in. :)

Ooo, hadn't thought of that. Is there a mechanic that would work better?