Reporting numbers after a foul

[Back In The Saddle]

I'm a whole number guy. Reporting is about communication and which communicates more easily, "one three" or "thirteen"? We all know thirteen, but "one three" takes just a little bit of mapping from what was said into a "real" number. I also think in a noisy gym, where they may not clearly hear all of what I say, "thirteen" is more likely to be recognized correctly than it's two digit alternative.

The hard part is disconnecting the signaling from the saying. I'll usually show the first digit as I'm saying the number, then after a suitable length of time has passed, I'll signal the second digit. But when I watch newbies try it, the fingers are inevitably connected to the syllables.

Just my $0.02