NBA 4-Person Mechanics

[JugglingReferee]

One of the issues with 2-person crews is that in transition, the new L often gets way behind the play because the athletes are much quicker than the officials.

Going to 3-person helped because the T could hang closer to the division line, and hopefully get a jump on getting back to the endline ahead of the play.

Watching NBA games this year, there are still TONNES of instances where the in-transition L is actually a C at best. To this end, I developed the 4-person basketball officaiting system. A patent is pending, so if you're lurking Stern or Nunn or whomever you are, you'll owe me lots of $$$$ if you use a 4-person system.

First possession:

• Toss is done by the R facing the table.
• U1 takes a position as in 2-person.
• U2 is singing somewhere for a benefit concert. Sorry, U2 is in the L position under the home basket, and U3 is L under the visitor's basket. Both U2 and U3 are on the opposite side to start the game.
• Once a team gains possession, U1 becomes the C and R becomes T. The L official not being used (U2 or U3) then rotates to table side.

Subsequent possessions:

The C and T now slide up and down the court reversing positions. The T becomes the new C and the C becomes the new T. The L on the other end of the court doesn't move off the endline.

Rotations:

The L may initiate a rotation just like 3-person crews, but it also forces the L at the other end of the court to flip from opposite to table side, or from table to opposite side.

Switches:

As in 3-person NBA mechanics.

This will bring many more officials into the NBA officiating ranks, which creates jobs for the American economy, which is always good. Oh ya, and since 3% of the NBA teams are from Canada, 3% of the officiating staff must be Canadians.