Tips for starting sharp?
 

Fri night, BV, 3-whistle game. R throws the jump and I end up C. We transition once, and then back and on this transition A1 goes up on a break for a layup and B1 blocks it "off the glass". Nothing like the first whistle of the night being a bang-bang BI call. It took me a second but I got the call, wasn't too delayed and obviously the correct call. My question is this. It always seems like the first few times up and down I am in a bit of a fog, just settling in to the game, etc. Any tips for what you do to get a "mental warm-up", so when these relatively unusual things happen right at the start you are prepared for them?

Talk about plays that could surprise you during your pregame.

Can you explain the play in a little more detail? I might be in a fog right now and don't understand where you got BI.

I was thinking the same thing, but I didn't want to be the first idiot to ask. So thanks, Tom. :D

I'm guessing but..

Basket Interferance. Ball is coming off the glass and then it gets blocked.

That doesn't sound right either.

Sounds legal to me.

A1 drives to the basket, lays the ball off the glass and B1 then pins it on the backboard - apologies, I suppose goaltending is technically the correct call since the ball is in a downward flight above the basket, I sometimes (I know not technically correct) refer to them interchangeably since the signal and penalty is the same...

I believe he must be referring to goal tending. that is the only call if the ball is NOT in contact with the rim or imaginary cylinder above the rim. Since the op refers to hitting it off the glass; I am going with goal tending.
Now specifically to his question regarding tips.... I have not been doing this long enough to interject any pertinent info, other than to agree with the comments about pre-game communication. In fact I discussed this issue pregame of a 10th grade boys because it was the first game in which their was actually the possibility of this happening (tall, agile boys). didnt come up during the game, but I thought about the possibility pre game and had my mind atuned to it....

kbilla, I believe the difference is with goaltending the ball is touched...

I assure you that some vet(s) will be by to correct me if I'm wrong.

Gotcha. What threw me (and presumably others) off was the reference to the glass. It's irrelevant whether it's hit the glass or not. All that matters for GT is whether it's on the way down on a try and if it has a chance to go in. If it hits the glass, but is still on the way up when the defense blocks it, it's legal.

I just make sure I take the "good" meds. :rolleyes:

OK, IMO you have to find that thing that works for you. I used to have this problem and one of my friends really got on me about it. You have to be ready, start at 100mph or whatever else will get you going. Additionally, it will not hurt to pregame goaltending/BI, block/charge or any other call that can happen quick.

Correct, which is a hell of a distinction to try to make at full speed, but one I have made before as well much to the dismay of a coach!! Like I said I use them interchangeably in conversation and "BI" is easier to type than "goaltending";)

Where can I score some of those?

Funny thing is during pre-game as R was over checking the books, U1 and I got together and he said something about being aware of BI/goaltending b/c there were several players he was watching that were playing above the rim...probably the primary reason I was as prepared as I was and it still caught me a little off guard. I guess the kids get stretched out a little faster than we do!

I had a JUCO game a number of years ago and missed an obvious foul on a play to the basket off of the opening tip. Coach got into me for not being ready to referee and he was right. I guess I tried to ease into the game instead of being ready from the start.

That was all the wake up call I needed. I have mentally prepared in my personal pregame to be ready right from the toss. You never know hwen you'll have to get right into it.

Good luck.

I'm kinda like stripes (well, in a very limited way). My wake up call came from missing a backcourt violation right off the tip a year or two back. My pre-game now includes watching for this, and I specifically call it out as a way of demonstrating that we are in the game from the opening tip.

BTW, I believe any time you can find something concrete to watch for or do during a situation, it works better than the more passive "don't miss anything" approach.

My wake-up came last year in a lower level game, actually. Held ball on the opening tip, prior to team control being established by either team. We had the original jumpers re-jump (afterwards, we both knew we'd screwed up).

Couple years ago, had a jumper steal the tip and I missed it. Had the same team the next game, he did it again. I didn't miss it twice.

Great thread....... In bigger games, it sometimes takes me a transition or two to feel it. Had a game last week and I was U2 and grabbed a shooting foul as lead 6-7 seconds into game.........fairly easy call and it was good to get the first one out.

By the way, B1 is obviously the defender, don't know why a few were lost.

Had nothing to do with it. What threw me off was the reference to the glass, as if the backboard had anything to do with the call.

Like the start of a game, I'm a little foggy on the start of this thread, reread and you're right.

It is possible to touch the ball and commit basket interference:

4-6-1, 4-6-2, and 4-6-3

What's your typical pre-game routine?

Here is what we do:

• 90 minutes before tip-off - meet partners, change into referee uniform, small talk
• 80 minutes before tip-off - pre-game conference, at the end each crew member mentions 3 points of emphasis to remind everybody of them, e.g. goaltending, 3 seconds, travelling ...
• 50 minutes before tip-off - physical warm-up, stretching
• 25 minutes before tip-off - meditation, mental preparation - first relax (control breath, think about something positive), then use imagery to prepare for clutch calls, e.g. block-charge, goal-tending, violations during or right after tipp-off ...
• 15 minutes before tip-off - enter gym, say hello to coaches, assistants, and everybody at the scorers table
• 12 minutes before tip-off - stand opposite table, continue mental preparation - maybe I will stretch some more; I always imagine myself standing on the spot, where I will be standing during the opening tip, and all the situations that might occur during or right after the jump (game going either way, violations during or after the tip, e.g. backcourt, tipping the ball on its way up, and so on); during players introduction I will close my eyes and soak in the atmosphere in the gym, that gets me energized and ready to go!
• 3 minutes before tip-off - activation - before taking off our jackets 1:30 before tipp-off and going to work I might run 2 or 3 sprints along the sideline or do some ankle jumps and then a short series of tuck jumps (it always looks good :D )
• 1:30 before tipp-off - sending teams back to their bench areas, walking over to the table, taking off our jackets
• 1 minute before tip-off - teams are in the huddle before entering the court, and so are we. crew chief (referee) sums up what we were talking about during pre-game and says something like "let's go out, be ready for everything and have fun".

And there we go ...

Mine came a few seasons ago. Tip, long pass, foul under the bucket. I was the U in 2-person and barely had gotten half way to the baseline and had a lousy view on the contact and passed. I learned to go and if the ball shoots the other way, my partner will adjust and become the lead.

All this for a 4th grade park district game?

Seriously..........College?

Our state frowns on any stretching/excercising once we've entered the court, which I agree on.

Is this a joke? Meditation? Activation? All this precision?
I would hate to see what would happen in case of a schedule change - you would be thrown off your schedule. I'm of the opinion that every game is an individual event. I have to check on my mind, body and the comfort of the crew to decide on what I will do.

Wow glad it works for you - I think just keeping on this schedule would be exhausting and stressful;)

I don't find this list to be out of the norm. In fact I find it to be a useful tool. It is like most things, if you are not used to it, it is hard to do, but if it is your routine, there is nothing to it. We all have our routines that we do before a game, this is just one you are not used to.

OK, if that is what you think. I would be interested to watch a crew that went through all that and see how the game went. I would be very interested.;)

90 minutes? Like I'm going to show up that early to all my high school games.

You put on your uniform 90 minutes before game time? I'm assuming this list is for a college game. First of all, for a high school game, I get to the gym 60 minutes before tip. 90 is overkill unless you're there to observe the JV guys (which you don't do, because it's not on your list).

Second, even for a college game, I'm not getting dressed 90 minutes before game time. Who wants to sit around in polyester for an hour an a half? :confused: Especially with all the stretching that you've got built in there. You want to do all your stretching while you're in uniform? :confused:

I'm sorry if this is too blunt, but it NEVER looks good to do that crap on the court. I work with a few guys who do it and frankly, I think it looks really bush league. I realize that we're standing out there for a half hour (NCAAM) or 15 minutes (NFHS) and you might tighten up a little. So do a couple inconspicuous stretches at the table. But don't run around and jump up and down like a freakin' rabbit.

Kostja I believe is European. Maybe he works in a professional league (or a high level) where 90 minutes would be normal. That might also explain the 3:00 and 1:30 references that is the FIBA pregame protocol.

Anyway, I'd rather work with someone who is there early and has a routine rather than "Mr. I'll Be There Before The Tip".

Good point, Jay. 90 minutes is probably right for a pro Euroleague. The sprints and bunny hops are still a bad idea, though. :)

I'm sorry if this is to blunt. To a certain extent, if an athlete - or at least an athletic person - is warming up for an athletic competition there is nothing wrong with it. However, if someone who is shall we say "non-athletic" :D is warming up like they are about to do something everyone in the building knows they aren't, that is bush league.
We have never met so I'm not necessarily directing this at you - just your comments. If someone is really warming up like they are about to run a marathon it could be overkill, but otherwise I don't see where this makes a difference. I don't think warming up works the same way for everybody.

I agree that the streching, running, etc. doesn't look good, but honestly, who notices the rerferees before the game excpt for other referees? I don't do any of this on the floor because it is not permitted, but I wish that we could. I have standing on the court doing nothing and tightening up. It is a stupid rule, IMO.

One sure way to change that is a nice workout regimen right in front of the scorer's table. Nothing screams "Look at me!" like a nice jogging/heel tuck regimen.

The NBA has done it for years and no one (other than guys like us) seems to notice them.

That's exactly the purpose of the guys that put on a fitness clinic before the game. "Look at me, look at me. I are an athlete."

Pre-game stretching is fine. Putting on a show while doing so isn't.

Just email me your debit card number and PIN. ;)

Thanks, Jay, you are right. I am European and I work in a professional league over here. I understand that showing up 90 minutes before a highschool game might be overkill, yet I think it is important to develop a personal pregame routine that you can use before every single game.

So, everybody else, please take my list just as one example of such a routine. It isn't the norm here either.

Cheers,
Kostja