I find this type situatuion most difficult during Rec games when I'm with a very junior partner who is just learning the game. I don't want to reach into his area, I want him to call the game and know I have his back and trust his judgement. But, from where I may stand it looks bad, and both coaches look to me to make the call. Of couse, one will be happy and one not so much..... It's all judgement and situational to me. Sometimes I reach and get it, other times I defer. If I do reach though, I talk to my partner at the first opportunity and explain why.

A slight amendment - bad things CAN happen when you extend your coverage areas to make ON-BALL calls...

But like I said in an earlier post, if there is a play that makes me say "OH MY GOD!!!", then I want a whistle on it - regardless of who it comes from...those are the plays that get us into loads of trouble.

The OP did it right on the floor. He let his partner's call (a no call) stand rather than inserting himself into a spot where he thought his partner had a good look. In hind sight, he was right. His partner did have a good look. He's only questioning himself because it was the rare case where the primary official just froze. It's a learning experience for the partner, not the OP.

It seems from reading the OP that it wasn't a train wreck, and from T you can't always tell if it was a flop or not. IOW, it doesn't seem like one of the "gotta-get-its" that we see every now and then when our partners are straight lined or focussed elsewhere.

I've had enough partners dial in from T and grab a shooting foul right in front of my L position when I had a clean block to know better than to go reaching for anything other than a train wreck.

You know, I once had a conversation with a respected official. We discussed making calls outside your area when working with LESS EXPERIENCED officials.

The official took a stance similar to Rockyroad. However, He made a good point of always asking the LESS EXPERIENCED official what did he/she see on the play. Thus, turning it into a teaching point about how judgement can make or break an official(s) assignment status. Moving up versus not moving up.

I am not going to know every single time if my partner got a good look. This is also why I am not going to make a lot of calls in my partner's area. Also if you have done this for some time and worked a lot of 3 Person like I have and many I work with, there are certain plays and certain situations you know your partner needs help.

Yesterday I had a coach ask me about a play while I was the New Lead and my partner the New Trail passed on some contact. I knew that I had no way to make a call and I did not see what happen. It would have made our crew look really bad if I am on the end line making calls in the back court in front of my partner just to look good.

Peace

Somebody here (that person will probably identify himself) said something like:
It's okay to reach out of your primary to point out an elephant on the court, but be sure it's an elephant.

Along these lines, I have said, if you reach across the court to call one right in front of your partner, even if you're right, it kinda makes the crew look bad. If you make this call and you're wrong, it is unforgivable.

IOW, better to say, "What elephant?" than to say, "Look, an elephant!" but it turns out to be a hippopotamus.

First off the line is:

If you go fishing in your partner's pond it better be for a whale and not a minnow.

Second, as described this play ISN'T squarely in leads primary, it occurs at the FT line area so it's in that overlap area. IMO, as described, trail had the better look AND the play is coming from trails primary and the contact occurs where the primaries meet...this isn't a case of a deep trail calling a B/C in leads corner.

I will engage the official regarding the play at halftime. Try to figure out why there was no call. This sounds to me like the crew wasn't ready to officiate when the ball went up.

I think we are missing the point in that the play NEEDS TO BE A HIGH CERTAINTY CALL to come out of your area. If you are an young official or don't understand this term, stick to your primary.

I have plays like these referred to as "God and Country fouls" (in that everyone in the gym sees them). Those are the plays we need to be ready to help on. There are usually 2-3 plays in every game that somebody on the crew needs to get to keep control of the game.

I have said on this board that if you are going to call out of your area, it better be an elephant rather than an ant. Leave the ants alone and get the elephants. BTW, this is just a repeated phrase, I did not originate it.

Peace

Figured it was an old saying. Wherever it came from, the idea is sound.

This sounds presumptuous to me.

I have the site blocked at work now, and was busy anyway so I'm just now seeing this thread.

1. Looking at the description of the play, someone assumed the player was driving north/south parallel with the lane line - they didn't say it like that, but that is the picture that was painted. I'm not going to make that assumption, but point out the fact that more drives occur at a 45 degree angle and many occur on the endline.
2. What are the odds of the OP looking at this call without any other players being between him and the play, especially in a two person game? I don't think those odds would be very good.
3. Someone mentioned where the play originated and the fact that it is the Trail's call. I don't see enough information in the description to make that assumption, but I would doubt it would go down like that with two officials.

Without seeing the play, I would say the OP was ball-watching and should not have a whistle on this play. I can understand a whistle in a three person game that is really needed, but in a two person game from the Trail in front of the Lead? I don't think so.
One official cannot save the world every game! People, you just don't see all these plays by accident. We are having some threads on the board where officials are ball watching and we are excusing it in the name of getting the call right. Could I go into a game and find a spot to stand all game? If I'm going to look all over the court and make calls based on bad positioning why not?
I think we are all getting paid a little for doing this and with that money comes the responsibility to earn that money. If my partner agrees to give me some of his money I will be more than happy to do his work. Otherwise, let the assignor figure out that certain officials cannot cut it when the pressure is on.

We should always plan to work our primaries! Period. Quit planning to cherry pick calls all over the court. There is enough other crap to worry about. I always wonder how many off-ball calls are made in some of these officials' games. I bet there aren't many - everyone is watching the ball!

Blind Zebra, interesting you should point this out because in the OP the Trail passed on the contact initiated by A2 on B1(possibly offense foul). But, the lead got the defensive (foul B2 on A2).

So, now he may be kicking himself by not getting the first foul (which could have been offensive). Thinking his partner would get it since he had the better angle. Didn't happen. Now, his partner called a foul against the defense. Worse case scenerio, it makes the crew look inconsistent.

Although not exactly the same, but it does point to that dilemma.

I'm trail 2 person tableside...A1 takes B1 off the dribble and beats him my side below the FT line...Just before A1 gathers the dribble B1 grabs their arm toward my side and causes A1 to turn...I hold my whistle a beat to see if A1 can play through the grab, but B2 gets to the spot just inside the lane and there is contact...my whistle goes just before my partner who doesn't hear mine and comes out PC.

Now we have a problem. I go to him and say, "I have a grab before the shot and before the crash.

I take my foul on B1 to the table and since the coach had the same look I did, a simple, "The grab was before the shot so the ball was dead and the PC foul never happened," satisfied the coach.