I've had almost a dozen requests for the pre-game notes that I mentioned in another thread, so I'm simply going to post the whole file here. You can either read it online, or save it and print it out for your own use later. I am honestly very happy to have received such a positive response to these notes. However, I'm always looking to improve them, so if anyone has any comments at all, please post them, or email them to me directly. Thanks. I hope somebody finds these useful. I apologize up-front for the lack of formatting. I hope it's not too hard to read.

Chuck
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RULE CHANGES
High School:
Player can still run baseline after foul or violation (after made or awarded
basket).
“Alley-oops” is 3 points.

College:
All technical fouls are 2 shots again.
When opponents commit lane violations during same FT,
penalize only the first violation.

MECHANICS CHANGES
New area of responsibilty for Trail official.
Notify benches of “first horn” when TO warning horn sounds.

POINTS OF EMPHASIS
Bench decorum.
Disconcertion during FTs.
Uniforms, player equipment, apparel.
Hand-checking and rough play.
Closely guarded.

PRE-GAME POSITION AND DUTIES
R observes visitors; U observes home team.

12 minutes -- R to table; U takes over observing both teams.
Appoint official timer and scorer. Verify that books are correct and
agree to signal for final approval of score.
Remind timer not to allow subs after warning horn or before the last
of multiple free throws. Make subs wait to be beckoned.
Remind scorer about 1) first alternating possession; 2) bonus and
double bonus; and 3) checking books after each period.

6 minutes -- Get captains (and invite coaches). U gets home captain(s).

2 minutes -- Greet head coaches together, before teams huddle.

COURT COVERAGE

Presses
Help each other. New Lead wait at midcourt.
Trail has ball and all OOB calls to midcourt. Follow ball to middle
of court.
Lead watches shot clock to help with 10 second count.
Lead watches off ball for screens and holding.

Transition or fast break
Trail has ball and all OOB calls to midcourt.
Lead must beat the ball to the endline.
Double whistle goes to the Lead.
Lead should “cut the corner” to get ball side if necessary.

Good off ball coverage in frontcourt
When ball is above free throw line, Lead must watch off ball for
screens and “bumping the cutters”.
When ball is below free throw line, Trail must watch through the
lane for contact.

Know your line responsibilities based on position at time of throw-in.
Blow your own lines. Don’t give help unless asked.

Lead responsible for 3 point line from the near free throw line extended to
the baseline (Lead does not mirror successful 3 point field goal signaled
by Trail).

Trail is responsible for high trap near division line and Lead’s sideline.
This will be Trail’s whistle.

Lead: Strong side movement as ball and bodies penetrate free throw line.
Trail: Give backside help off ball.


MAKING THE FOUL CALL

Preliminary signal to be given at spot of foul for all common fouls.

Calling official must designate throw-in spot following common foul, or
number of shots, if necessary.

Calling official informs fouler, shooter and partner.

Double whistle: Official in primary area takes call. Know when to take or
give up the call.

Call your own area. Be sure outside of it.

Non-calling official:

Freeze eyes. Observe players. Do not chase the ball.

Get the shooter, if there are to be free throws.

If the ball enters the basket after the whistle, inform your partner
that “the ball went in”.

Inform coach on player’s 5th foul and start clock.

Inform coach he has lost coaching box privileges after technical foul
(direct or indirect).

FREE THROW RESPONSIBILITIES

Trail:

Do not enter lane. Indicate number of free throws to partner and
assume position to observe free thrower.
Before release, watch free thrower and players on opposite side
(table side) of free throw lane.
After release, watch flight of ball and players outside 3-point arc.

Lead:

Before release, watch near player on low block and all players on
opposite side of free throw lane.
After release, watch rebounding action (not flight of ball).
On all free throws, bounce ball directly to shooter.

If there is delay after a timeout, Trail will put ball on floor at foul line and
begin the shooter’s 10-second count. If no timeout, but shooter delays
outside the circle, technical foul is charged (no warning).
Neither team can commit a lane violation until the ball is at the disposal of
the shooter (either possession and control, or ball placed on floor).

THROW-INS

Before putting the ball into play, make eye contact with partner and check
the clock.
On OOB call, if responsible official is not sure of call, the other official --
if asked -- should signal direction or jump ball.
Lead is responsible for the near sideline to the division line.
Calling official must designate the spot of a throw-in following a violation
or non-shooting foul so the play can be ‘boxed in’ properly.
OOB on endline:
Staying in frontcourt, make sure we put ball in play where it went
out, even if we have to switch sides of court.
Going to other end, stay where we are, regardless of where ball
went out on endline.


TIME OUT RESPOSIBILITIES

A player’s or coach’s request may be oral and/or visual.
Calling official goes to table, gives number of player (no “bumping up”).
Do not grant time out until injured, disqualified, or substitute players have
been replaced.
Do not report time out until both teams are at their respective benches.
Both officials must know the game situation when play resumes following
the time out.
On official at spot of throw in (or free throw line) with ball facing
direction in which it will be put into play. Off official at division line,
halfway between circle and far sideline. EXCEPTION: If cheerleaders are
performing at midcourt, we will go to low blocks opposite the table.

SPECIAL SITUATIONS

Goaltending/Basket Interference is primarily Trail’s responsibility. Lead
is watching bodies, Trail is watching flight of the ball.
Last shot is Trail’s responsibility. EXCEPTION: Christian Laettner play.
Injured player:
If serious injury or in imminent danger, stop play immediately.
If not sure, STAY WITH PLAYER and wait until opposing team
has completed play or moved away from basket.
If coach or trainer is beckoned, player must leave game until next
opportunity to substitute.
Closely guarded counts: continue even if player leaves your area.
Both officials are responsible for possession arrow at start of game, but R
should signal the table after initial jump ball.
Three point shot and correction, if necessary.
Only marked lane spaces may be occupied during a free throw.
Meet at center circle at halftime, change arrow before leaving court.
No discussion until we’re back in the locker room.
Halftime: Back on floor at 3 minutes. Horns at 1:00, 0:15 and 0:00.
If explanation is given to one coach at table, invite other coach.

MISCELLANEOUS

Maintain composure, “decelerate”.
Philosophy -- How we will officiate
Don’t guess! See what you call. Not sure? No whistle.
Bench conduct -- Assistant coaches and substitutes have no latitude.
Make sure coach knows when to let it go
Post play -- warn or whistle.
Hand checking -- call it early in the game.
Stop dribble
Redirect dribble when going to basket
Two hands on dribbler
Forearm on dribbler
Fouls
Turnover b/c of reach-in
End of game, give defender chance to make the steal
Technical foul -- will it improve the game?
Good contact at one end, don’t ticky-tack at the other.
Be aware of game situation: number of team fouls, possession arrow and
time-outs remaining.
If one official has a few fouls in a row against the same team, then double
whistle, let the other official take the call.
In low post, don’t warn the swim stroke, hook, or “backing down”.
First two minutes and last five minutes are most important in the game.
Referee the dead ball periods. DON’T BE SURPRISED.
Shirts: Ask to tuck in for first 4-5 minutes, then send them out of game.

JOE’S ADVICE

Call the obvious.
Referee the defense.
Protect the shooter.
Trust your partner.

And I thought the Officials' Manual's pre-game was overwhelming.....!

LOL, that's why I get to my HS games an hour before game time! :D

Seriously, tho, I don't usually go over the whole thing with every partner. Some partners I've worked with before, so I don't go over positioning and the rules changes. If I'm working with a newer guy, I usually only go over the basic stuff at the beginning of the notes.

Chuck

It doesn't matter how early you get there, but how early your partner arrives!

Chuck: Thanks for posting the pre-game notes. Like you, I am usually at the game site about an hour early. It is rare that I am not the first official to arrive. My association says "at least 30 minutes prior to game time and preferably 45-60 minutes". I also like your points about the non-calling official freezing the eyes and not chasing the ball. In my pre-game I talk about freezing the eyes, but keep moving into position. Good notes.

i don't think this was mentioned, know your correctable errors! i am stuck on that, but i think it is very important, and should be addressed in every pre-game.

Doug,

The most important thing to remember about correctable errors is. . .DON'T HAVE ANY!!

Most correctable errors are caused by rushing, or not knowing the game situation (bonus or possession?). I'm sure I'll screw up one day, but I work every game on taking my time while reporting or at the table, and being aware of where we are in the game.

Chuck

Prevention.
 

I think it is more important to discuss how to prevent them. For the most part you can prevent them if you are working together and communicating with each other and the table.

Peace

Just a question - why/how is an alley-oop worth 3 points? Please forgive the poor FEEBLE referee, but I don't understand.

When a "pass" comes from beyond the arc and goes in instead of going to the player.

Doug
 

What are the five correctable errors? Have you had to make a correction using each one? :D

Read it again - "alley-oops."

I think in order to know how to prevent correctable errors, you need to be aware of them, and take measures such as slowing down, and thinking before you act. But, I would NOT want to be in a game (i've seen it happen many times) where the official messes up and tries to correct it when it is NOT correctable, or vise versa (in jv and varsity games).

Chucks and JRutledge, i have had only one instance when I had to correct a correctable error, and it was the scorer's mistake, the score was wrong. Sometimes things happen, in my case, my scorer fell asleep (hat on and sitting straight up), it took me a while to realize that he was sleeping, he looked unattentive, so i went and talked to him, when he didn't repspond, i put my hand on his shoulder and got a "whoo, where am i" response, and he had missed a basket! I believe that as an official, we need to be prepared for everything. So, where correctable errors, aren't on the top of my pre-game list, they are there because things do happen and i want my partner and i to be on the same page and be able to deal with it efficiently. willie, they are

Failure to award an unmerited tf
awarding an unmerited ft
permitting wrong play to shoot the ft
attempting a ft at the wrong basket
erroneously counting or cancelling a score

Doug, my previous response regarding correctable errors ("don't have any") was only half serious. I do think that it's more important to prevent those situations than it is to correct them. Having said that, sometimes stuff happens. And when it happens, you are absolutely correct, the official needs to know what's correctable and what's not.

(You can just tell that there's a "but" coming here, can't you? :) )

But. . .

I don't think that the situation you outline above is a correctable error. This is not a case of erroneously not counting a score. It's not an official's mistake. This falls under what most of us call a "bookkeeping" error, and can be corrected anytime it is detected up until the official's jurisdiction has ended.

If I'm wrong about that, I trust someone will correct me, but I would not count that situation as correctable under 2-10.

Chuck

that is what i meant, i shouldn't have put correctable there. I was reffering to the fact that i corrected it because it wasn't. sorry