On the Floor, et al

[Nevadaref]

"I've got..."
"Foul's on..."

"Walk"

"baseline"

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

"I've got..."
"Foul's on..."

"Walk"

"baseline"

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Then there's, "Coach, feel free to ask us questions during the game, we'll be happy to answer them."

I agree with both of these. I will also add:

"That way", "going down", "stay here" - none of these are colors

[Corndog89]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

"I've got..."

That is one of my personal worst habits. I say it at least 2-3 times a game and wanna slap myself everytime I say it...the game is not about me! Gotta focus more on that one.

Although the rules/case/mechanics books use specific terminology, if the communication is clear, then I don't have much problem with trite or not-quite-exact terminology. Some, such as "reach" or "over-the-back", need to be avoided because they perpetuate myths/misunderstandings of the rules. I've had good partners who I respected use them in reporting fouls because they said it let the coaches know what the foul was...arrrgggghhhhh.

But terms like "on the floor" or "baseline" or even something as inane as "relax on the first shot" communicate a clear message to players, partners, and coaches. For example, I would certainly prefer my partner clearly state a foul occured "on the floor" then not comunicate anything at all (whether verbal or non-verbal), leaving me (and my other partner) wondering what we're to do next. This is not to say I necessarily condone such terminology when, as several people have pointed out, "no shot" correctly communicates the same thing. But I mostly want to know what the situation is as quickly as possible. And Chuck & JRut are right...be precise and correct at camp.