Strange non mechanic
 

Watching Tenn. A&M last night and late in game ball goes out on baseline, couldn't tell off who. Lead literally looked at it for what seemed 4-5 seconds with no reaction and finally signalled. She appeared to be yelling something at a player prior to the signal and not who's ball it was. Strangest thing I've seen all year.

Anybody see it? Maybe I missed something.

Any chance she was actually asking for help from another official?

perhaps it seemed obvious to the lead who should get the ball, and she didn't think she needed to signal? Then realized that no one else had seen it that way?

perhaps she was trying to get the player to fess up that she (player) had touched it?

In women's mechanics, if the L needs help on an OOB call, they can look out to the C or T and verbalize "Need help!", or something to that effect, before giving a signal. This is especially useful on a pass or shot that originated from outside the L's primary. Their partner will signal the direction based on their knowledge. Perhaps that's what you saw, was the L asking their partner(s) for help on the call, and not actually yelling at a player. Once the partner gives the signal, the L mirrors it, and puts the ball in play.

This situation is usually a standard discussion in pre-game.

No, as she was wide and looking along the baseline. By her body language, it seemed like she was visibly upset at a player and barked at her before she signalled( you'd have to see it).

It just looked very odd. Hey, maybe she just had a lapse.


That said, I'm on the couch and it wasn't a close up shot of the official. C could have been down low and she was looking over for help. I'd love to see it again.


Edit.........it did happen out of her primary.

Is this something you do?

no way! And it was mostly a joke. But I have seen refs ask players if they touched the ball. Not sure I've seen it at that level of play, though.

If you have, it was likely that official's last game at that level; unless she has enough credility that everyone knows she was joking.

I do it quite a bit, but after I've made the call.

What's the men's mechanic for seeking help?

I like it when I emphatically make the call.....perhaps even hearing a chorus of boos from those scholars in the crowd who are watching the game with their hearts and not their eyes.....but seeing the player you called the out of bounds on, turn quietly and go the other way, KNOWING you got it exactly right! ;)

Obviously officials do the same (or something similar) on the men's side, but this mechanic is explicitly laid out in the women's officials manual, and includes that the official is to verbalize "Help" to the other official.

here's the women's


http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/33241...5A1E4F32AD3138

Oh, ok...I've always done it that way. And I always pre-game that that's what I'm going to do. I hate when an official needs help and just kinda looks at you like you're supposed to read his mind.

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I blow, raise hand and look for help with conviction........always pregame.

I've had partners shrug shoulders and look for help.:eek:

Actually the official seemed more to be yelling who the ball was off of. This is just another reason why I hate the women's mechanics not at the very least using a stop clock as apart of their mechanics. That is different than using the stop clock as an option rather than just eliminating it all together. Even on the Men's side there is a lot of not using the stop clock, but when they do not see the play, it is clear they have their hand up. I do not think she was yelling at anyone, she just did not know how to raise her arm to think about what she just called.

Peace

Men don't ask for help. They just continue with what they are doing until they figure it out. ;)

Important Part Of My Pregame ...
 

For out-of-bounds help, let's get it right. Come together for a change if needed. If I have no idea and I look to you for help, just give a directional signal. No need to come to me. Just point. If I signal but I get it wrong, then blow the whistle and come to me. Tell me what you saw and let me decide if I’m going to change it.

You obviously saw it. It looked very bizarre to me, I was saying to myself, do something. It sure looked awkward on TV. I agree, put your hand up....do somethin'

I guess I have been around a little longer. It was not as bizarre and that is why I think she was just yelling what her choice was. She was doing the same thing many of us do but she did not have her hand up which at the very least would have made it look better.

Peace

I got more than a few years on you and have always been a good observer of officials even before I started reffing. I might be embellishing with the bizarre adjective, it was more like it just caught my attention.

She seemed to over compensate with yelling color/team. it took all her energy to bark it out. That said, after that it still took her a few seconds to point. She looked upset.

That might be true.

My point is I have seen this either by officials I have worked with or by watching them. And it is one thing to watch officials than to work with officials that have done the very thing. It really was not that bizarre or unusual as you think. I have seen it even in HS games were officials are trying to figure out which way they are going. Sometimes they raise their arm, sometimes they do not.

I cannot speak for her being upset. I did not personally see that. My point is it seemed like she was collecting her barring. And because Women's basketball does not advocate the "stop clock signal" in almost all situations, she got caught in an extra long delay. If this was a HS or Men's game then the official would have likely had their hand and arm up.

The strangest part to me was I thought they got it wrong, looked pretty clear that the ball went off the Rutgers player's foot.

It was one of many calls that had me going, "What the heck," the last 15 minutes or so.

Benefit Of Doubt ...
 

I like the language in your post. You seem to be giving the officials the benefit of the doubt, yet still have an opinion that is opposite of their call. A lot of fans, coaches, and some officials, posting on this Forum, often just say "Wrong, wrong, wrong". Period. Especially if the call goes against "their team".

Only officials can appreciate how difficult it is to officiate a perfect game, no matter how good you are, no matter how good your partner(s) are (is). A man named John quoted one of my favorite people as saying, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” There is also a well-known Native American saying, “One must walk a mile in another's moccasins to truly understand their ways.”