First Time for Everything

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

I asked when she wants to begin our pregame. She gives me the look, and says "whenever, I really don't think it's that big a deal." "OK," I say, "well, can we do one for me, because it helps me get comfortable with my crew." She says, "we can talk later."

We come in at the start of the 4th quarter (the game before ours), and sit down to talk. She says THREE sentences [LITERALLY]. 1) "Make good calls." 2) "Get good position." 3) "Let's hustle." I have to DRAAAAAAAAAAG anything else out of her. After this joyous time, we head out on the court.

At this point, you can do a little personal pre-game in your head: WARNING, TROUBLE AHEAD. Knowing she's the lackadaisical type, you have to be extra alert all the time.

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

The game goes fairly well, but she informs us early on that she doesn't like 3-person mechanics and isn't very good at it. I see what she means about 15 seconds into the game . . . I am OK with that though, because we all have to work hard to get good at anything. I offer my assistance as best I can and she works hard and makes some great adjustments. Later in the game she is really moving well . . . and I told her as much.

It's good that she was learning so quickly. But part of the pre-game for new 3-whistle people is to "just ref", and leave the mechanics in second place of focus. It's a lot easier to correct a few missed rotations than bail out of the kinds of jams you got into!

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

We get down to about 3-4 minutes left in the game, and everything seems to be winding down in a 25 point blowout. Then it happens . . .

Team B has the ball. SHOT . . . attempt for a rebound and FOUL! TWEET! Double whistle between me and the lead (I am trail.). I look at her and say "33." She shakes her head yes. I turn, report the foul, and begin walking to the other end of the court. Everyone stops and looks around like "WHAT!?!?" I look at the lead, and she starts to walk toward me. I ask her again, "you had 33 with the push right?" She now says, "no, I had white 15." DOH!!

She nodded to you that 33 was okay, but she didn't really know what you said. Knowing that you and she haven't gotten on the same page, next time, go clear to her and say the words, "push on 33?" But even then, since she gave the call up to you, you are the one who can change your call, and you shouldn't have, since you were sure you were right.

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

56 seconds left in the game. Team B is coming up the floor. Pt. Guard is dribbling up the floor at a fast pace. She gets to mid-court line and passes off down the floor. In the process she completely obliterates a defender standing immediately in front of her. Hits the defender SQUARE in the middle of her chest with her shoulder. I am T, she is C. We have another double whistle. I look at her to see what she is going to call. She doesn't do anything. SO, I START to drop my hand and signal team-control foul. DOH!! She decides to signal BLOCK. "Luckily" I hadn't thrown my punch for the TC foul,

You might have had a better angle. Was one of you straightlined?

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

I ask my partner what she had after the game, and she says the girl "started" to fall back and that is ALWAYS a block! I shook my head, said OK, and got out of there.

In simple kindness, you should have at least suggested she look up the rules that she kicked. What she does with that suggestion is then her problem

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

She tells me she saw 15 white push 12 green. I let her know that 33 green pushed 15 white (from behind) into green 12. She is emphatic, that isn't what she saw. OK. Double Foul, POI.

That is a simultanious foul not a double foul.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by bigdogrunnin

She tells me she saw 15 white push 12 green. I let her know that 33 green pushed 15 white (from behind) into green 12. She is emphatic, that isn't what she saw. OK. Double Foul, POI.

Originally Posted by LDUB

That is a simultanious foul not a double foul.

If 33 green pushed 15 white into 12 green, that is a foul on 33, nothing more.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by just another ref

If 33 green pushed 15 white into 12 green, that is a foul on 33, nothing more.

And the other official saw G33 push W15 at the same time that W15 pushed G12 which makes it s simultanious foul.

[bigdogrunnin]

But in my original post I said that my co-official did not acknowledge that she saw 33 push 15 first. She only said that she saw 15 push 12. I understand the simultaneous foul though. Thank you for the clarification. That foul is called so infrequently that I don't think about it sometimes. This was one of those instances.

I have had the opportunity to think about this more over the past couple days and what I realize is that I should have been more emphatic about an appropriate pre-game. I also should also have been more understanding of the fact that she did not have a lot of experience. Rainmaker, thank you for your response.

Hope everyone enjoys the SUPER BOWL!!