Tracking down a wayward ball

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

This is too much trouble. Just stand there. It accomplishes the same thing. Everybody waits until they realize the ref's not gonna get it. Then somebody will get it.

Yup, that works too.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by dkmz17

HS freshman game, A1 goes up for a shot and B2 blocks it out of bounds, no foul. Ball rolls, bounces along out of bounds and into corner of gym. Who is responsible to get the ball for the throw in to be administered? The officials? B2 or a member of his team? Someone from Team A?

Well, I'll ask a player to get it, but they usually do without being asked. I used to cover this in my captain's meeting, but it raised my total captain's meeting time over a minute.

It's not that I don't want to chase loose balls, but I believe my time is better served keeping my eyes on the players.

I also think it looks somewhat undignified having an official chase down a ball while everyone else watches. Of course, I haven't worked anything but varsity games for quite a while, so this probably doesn't apply to the 3rd grade game at the Y on Saturday morning.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Well, I'll ask a player to get it, but they usually do without being asked.

It's not that I don't want to chase loose balls, but I believe my time is better served keeping my eyes on the players.

I also think it looks somewhat undignified having an official chase down a ball while everyone else watches.

This is how I was taught too.

I usually just say - "someone needs to go get the ball."....then I just wait. Never had a problem with it yet. Of course, I don't work too many cavernous gyms either.

[Raymond]

I keep my eyes on the players until my partner/partners is/are back in position. Usually by that time a player has brought me the ball, if not, THEN I will go retrieve the ball myself--if it's a rec league game with a running clock then my pace towards the ball and back to the admin spot is, for some reason, very slow

However, I do have a buddy of mine whom I happened to work with last night who refuses to track down any loose balls. He verbally solicits help from the players.

To each is own, but definitely not something that can be penalized.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I keep my eyes on the players until my partner/partners is/are back in position. Usually by that time a player has brought me the ball, if not, THEN I will go retrieve the ball myself--if it's a rec league game with a running clock then my pace towards the ball and back to the admin spot is, for some reason, very slow

However, I do have a buddy of mine whom I happened to work with last night who refuses to track down any loose balls. He verbally solicits help from the players.

To each is own, but definitely not something that can be penalized.

Definitely not?

What if the official says "Please retrieve the ball" and the player refuses. Something in the rules about not complying with an official's directive, isn't there?

(Not that I'd ever do this, I'd just get the ball myself and call three straight cheapies on that player. )

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Definitely not?
What if the official says "Please retrieve the ball" and the player refuses. Something in the rules about not complying with an official's directive, isn't there?

Just b/c i'm intrigued by Satan, lawyers, and Al Pacino.

Ball-- 1) rolls under the bleachers or 2) all the way to the opposite sideline--at no fault of the player standing next to you. You say "Please retrieve the ball" and then...

1) Player re-emerges from under the bleachers with a bloody gash on his forehead.

2) Player decides to sprint across the court and entire gym watches as player puts on the brakes to stop in front of the ball and his right knee crumbles.

[grunewar]

My partner and I pre-gaming tonight for JVG game. I told him about a few situations on the forum this week......and we discussed them a bit.

Two minutes into the game, A in forecourt, TWEET, foul on B1. Ball hits a foot and rolls the entire length of the court. I'm L, my partner is T. No one is there.....ball continues to roll......out of the stands comes a parent, who stops it and rolls it back to the division line to my partner.

We got a good chuckle!

[IREFU2]

I never run after the ball. I ask one of the players to retreive it for me.

[mick]

Originally Posted by IREFU2

I never run after the ball. I ask one of the players to retreive it for me.

Never is a long time.

Ball goes outa bounds and ends up 30'-40' away. Team A requests time and is granted. Both teams head to bench....

[IREFU2]

Okay, let me rephrase my answer....I dont retreive the ball during my games. Plus, in the gyms around here, someone will intercept the ball before it rolls out into the parking lot, 40' or 50' feet away!!!!!

[Raymond]

Question for blindzebra:

Would refusing to retrieve a loose ball put one in the same category as one who works without a lanyard?

[IREFU2]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Question for blindzebra:

Would refusing to retrieve a loose ball put one in the same category as one who works without a lanyard?

Hey BadNews, give me a call at work.

[blindzebra]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Question for blindzebra:

Would refusing to retrieve a loose ball put one in the same category as one who works without a lanyard?

Our job is observing the players during a dead ball, not retrieving a ball.

Now if you stand there chest puffed out, gut sucked in, biceps flexed, holding your whistle in you hand while you wait for a player to get it...then yeah it's the same category.

[Uncle_Moe]

I normally do not have a problem with such. On those occasions when I have had it more than once or twice, I will politely mention it to the home team coach that it is his responsibility to have a game ball ready for play and that I cannot properly see the action on the court if I am chasing loose basketballs all over his gym. That usually gets the message across. On the one time it didn't, I had the scorekeeper annotate an official warning for delay of game in the books. He got the message; although, he wasn't very happy about it.

[w_sohl]

I had let the players chase the ball down until one of my partners who is one of our top level officials told me that if I did that when our assignor was evaluating he would have chewed my *** out. His thinking is, the players are working hard (as are we) so we should go get the ball for them. Now if it gets to far away it usually finds it way back to me on its own, but the ones that are close, I try to snag myself, but the players usually get to those first anyway.