Things I forgot after 11 months away.....
 

(1) How to pack, obviously. While minor things, I forgot my handkerchief and my gum. (I sweat and get dry mouth, if you must know).

(2) If the players jumping are 6'5", it's preferable to toss the ball higher than 6'5". Actually, I think I managed this, but not by a whole lot.

(3) High school coaches aren't always bright. Twice tonight a coach "argued" for something that would've gone against his team.

(3a) Once, on a midcourt trap, I was in the process of calling a foul on the defense (which knocked the ball loose) when my partner flew in and announced that the offense had asked for time before the ball came loose. And the defense wanted to argue that the ball was loose.

(3b) Had a pass-catch-turn-crash across midcourt. I went up with a fist and my partner came in with a travel call. Same coach (on offense) wanted to argue that one. I was going to call a player control foul. Partner had a good call there. I was focused on the impending crash and he, with a bit more distance, was able to focus on the feet.

(4) 2-person still sucks as much as it did in January. It's a miserable way to call varsity boys basketball in 2007. Once tonight I had a loose ball rolling towards my sideline (I was the trail, we were in the backcourt). Two players dove for the ball and I was (necessarily) focused on them and the ball going out of bounds. Apparently someone got pushed behind me. Partner didn't see it. Coach in my pocket and I told him I needed to focus on the players diving and the ball and I must've missed what happened. Good enough for him. With 3, this wouldn't have ever gotten missed. Plenty of other examples where 3 would've given better coverage.

(5) Some games are going to feature 10 kids playing at a time with limited talent who are going to make me look bad no matter what I do. Physical, physical game. Sometime 4 bodies would crash in the middle and I'd almost laugh trying to imagine what I'd call there (besides nothing). Other times, a minor bit of contact would force the ball handler into a travel or a turnover and we'd have to call it. We had at least 5 players foul out in a game where we called only about 35 fouls.

(6) Whoever thought up the new 20 second period for replacing a disqualified player ought to be shot. Notify coach, notify table (starting clock) and there's no way to notify the player and be back to give a warning on the first horn since it's 5 seconds later. Am I the only one who saw nothing wrong with giving 30 seconds here?

(7) Timeout position. What's old is new again. I know I used to do this little dance in 2-person until we started using the tops of the arcs and blocks, but it was a struggle tonight. The state here has clarified that both officials should still call out "first horn" but it seems to be much more awkward than having the official on the division line handle both teams.

(8) Getting mileage money. Got $52 mileage tonight. Wow. Game fee itself was only $55.

Back at it tomorrow. Girls, 2-person. It's still fun, although I'm now looking for a good game. Based on last season's records and this season's predictions, tomorrow will not be it.

5 seconds is (or should be) more than ample. Any coach above the "dads and moms coaching 4th graders for the park district" level will know when it's a player's fifth foul. By the time it's reported and recognized at the table, the coach should have the sub picked out. All that's left it to point to the sub.

Bob, it's the "notify the player" part that takes more than 5 seconds. Once you start the clock you STILL need to notify the player and he could be all the way down in the lane.

Even with 5 DQs last night, it would've only added 50 more seconds to the whole procedure. Another "problem" that really didn't need a solution. Was it so troublesome that teams brought their players over for 15 seconds of instruction here?

The horn should be AT 15 seconds (of the 20), not at 5 seconds. I get what the FED is trying to do here, but I will say it all seemed a bit awkward last night.

We'll see how things go in my (anticipated) hack-and-slash festival tonight.

Be careful what you wish for, I had been hoping, wishing & praying for a GAME during the first 2 weeks & now I've had back-to-back barn burners which came down to the last shot in OT. And yes, we put shooters on the line in both games with a few ticks left on the clock. Unfortunately it was the poorest FT shooter each time.

Back at it tonight, 3 person 5A conference BOYS match-up 7pm prime-time.
Most definately the biggest game of my young officiating career!

Whew! For a minute there, I thought you said gun. :eek:

Only the esentials. :eek:

Apparently, a spell-check isn't one of them. :D

I am the worst speller in the world. I dont deny it.

Its quite upsetting to have a broad vocabulary but not to be able to articulate it correctly in text due to the inconveinience of my shortcomings when it pertains to spelling.

Rich,

A couple things, first on notifying the player. I don't run down to the baseline or wherever he is to let him know it's his fifth. Most instances, I flash the '5' to him as he walks by me while I'm waiting for his replacement. I hate doing this to the player, to me it's almost like you're antagonizing him by telling him the obvious.

Second, man it sure does suck doing 2-man. Especially when you sprinkle in a 3-man game every so often.

MJ

Self-fulfilling prophecy?

I agree totally -- but for the opposite reason. My entire schedule this year is 3 man, with the exception of one 2-man game over the Holiday Break between two physical small school teams. Lah me. I can't wait to see how many times I forget to cover the sideline when I'm lead. :(

Took me 2 nights to hand out a technical.

Of course it was a delay-of-game technical. Girls from the home team just wouldn't let the ball alone coming through the basket.

Warning in the first, technical in the third. Partner didn't have the stones to call it on his end. Didn't know the guy and can't control that, I guess.

Late in the fourth quarter, home team AGAIN batted the ball, but luckily for the player, she batted it right to an opponent, hence no delay.

Three point game. Visiting team had a shot down two to tie/win and threw it right to a defender with 2 seconds left. Partner called a foul with 0.3 seconds left 80 feet from the basket. :rolleyes: