I know it's summer league, but...

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by truerookie

What is wrong with officials giving the kids; site admin; assignor (except JR ) their best without regards if its summer or regular season(play calling/mechanics)?

There's where we differ. I don't consider a slavish devotion to mechanics that are basically meaningless compared to what is actually needed to have a well-officiated game to be the "best" of what any official has to offer. If an official is constantly hustling to get into the right position and then consistently makes the correct call, evenly and equitably through the whole game, then I personally think that official is giving their best.

Some mechanics need to be followed faithfully; some not so much imo.

We'll have to leave it as a difference of opinion as to what each of us feels is actually important and necessary to have a well-officiated game.

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

If an official is constantly hustling to get into the right position and then consistently makes the correct call, evenly and equitably through the whole game, then I personally think that official is giving their best.

I recently had the opportunity to hear an interview with Mr. John Adams, when asked about the 1 or 2 things that would make him want to know more about an official in a camp setting (summer ball) he said "at the end of the day I'm really looking for guys that consistently get the calls right".

I guess there's a reason why JR has had longevity,
as you can see he & Mr. Adams share the same perspectives on what's most important.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

I guess there's a reason why JR has had longevity,
as you can see he & Mr. Adams share the same perspectives on what's most important.

You are assuming Jurassic is a "he" and that "he" is old.

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

You are assuming Jurassic is a "he" and that "he" is old.

Excellent point! Allow me to rephrase:

JR is either wise beyond his/her years or has been at it for quite some time... quoting the same perspective as the new NCAA Coordinator has got to lend credibility. Or maybe the dinosaur just listened to the same interview that I heard.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

You are assuming Jurassic is a "he" and that "he" is old.

Just for the record, and apropos to nuthin', I just looked and I still am what could loosely be described as a "he" and I also am older than dirt( but not quite a senior citizen yet).

If I ever get set in my ways though, please kick me. The game is constantly changing and evolving. Officials have to keep pace. Jmo.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

I recently had the opportunity to hear an interview with Mr. John Adams, when asked about the 1 or 2 things that would make him want to know more about an official in a camp setting (summer ball) he said "at the end of the day I'm really looking for guys that consistently get the calls right".

You can teach mechanics. You can't teach ability. At the best, you might be able to help develop it a little.

That's why there's some great young officials....and some really crappy old officials......and vice-versa.

Again, jmo.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

I recently had the opportunity to hear an interview with Mr. John Adams, when asked about the 1 or 2 things that would make him want to know more about an official in a camp setting (summer ball) he said "at the end of the day I'm really looking for guys that consistently get the calls right".

I guess there's a reason why JR has had longevity,
as you can see he & Mr. Adams share the same perspectives on what's most important.

I have attended John's Camps and I can tell you that you will not be hired by him if you did not have good mechanics. Of course the bottom line is to hire people that get plays right. But the people he is comparing you to have good mechanics. And I know there were people that were eliminated because they had shotty mechanics or other things about there games while getting plays right.

Peace

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have attended John's Camps and I can tell you that you will not be hired by him if you did not have good mechanics...

..."or if you aren't fit with an athletic run". He also went on to say "if you don't catch his attention in 5-10 minutes, you probably won't" but I was just comparing the bottom line perspective that he & JR shared basically word for word.

[JugglingReferee]

When I look back in my career, I recall that games that went to the toilet did so more because of mechanics mistakes than a missed call. Mechanics are a tool to more easily make the right call.

If you're out of position, players and coaches know it. Fans likely too. If you're in position, you are less likely to miss a call. (This is working under the assumption that an assignor doesn't place you in a game that's way over your head.)

I agree with JR that some mechanics should be followed AMAP, and with others, liberties can be taken.

When it comes to the best way to handle a game, I think looking to the top is your best bet. Look at the NBA mechanics in the 70s and 80s. They were much more wild than they are today. The NBA, NFL, etc all refined the mechanics to today's game.

[TheOracle]

[QUOTE=JugglingReferee]When I look back in my career, I recall that games that went to the toilet did so more because of mechanics mistakes than a missed call. Mechanics are a tool to more easily make the right call.
QUOTE]

I have to ask. Can you give an example of when poor mechanics have ruined a game?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by TheOracle

I have to ask. Can you give an example of when poor mechanics have ruined a game?

Double whistle and you have a blarge. Or when an official is not in position and they completely miss a play and make the wrong call or ruling. It is hard to follow rules when you do not see what you just called. I can think of a lot more situations but I do not want to waste anymore time.

Peace

[Back In The Saddle]

[QUOTE=TheOracle]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

When I look back in my career, I recall that games that went to the toilet did so more because of mechanics mistakes than a missed call. Mechanics are a tool to more easily make the right call.
QUOTE]

I have to ask. Can you give an example of when poor mechanics have ruined a game?

Camp game last Saturday. High level of ball, one team exited the state tourney in the semis last year and has a very difficult HC. The score is close, probably 4 point difference at this point, and the outcome of the game has some bearing on seeding for the bracket portion of the camp which will start right after this game.

In the last two minutes of the game, a younger looking official comes up strong with a whistle and a preliminary call of "Handcheck!". He reports it as a handcheck at the table, then indicates the ball is going the other way. He heads on down the floor to become the new lead.

Everybody else in the gym is scratching his head. Crew chief calls him back, confers with him for a minute, sends him to the table to "fix" his call. He does so briefly, then heads toward the new lead again with no other indication to the teams or those watching what the call really is.

What really happened was he had either a PC or TC call (never found out which). He botched the communication at the spot, again at the table, and a third time as he "fixed" the problem.

Okay, so it didn't ruin the game, but it certainly derailed what little remained of an otherwise good game. And, IMHO (and painful experience), had it happened earlier in the second half, it would likely have ruined the game as his cred is now shot and coaches, players, fans, and partners will be questioning everything this kid calls and no-calls the rest of the game.

So IMHO it is possible for one moment of poor mechanics to ruin a game. Think about it. If you have a high level game, that is close, and if the outcome is meaningful, and one of the officials on the game, who is not one of the respected vets who get the benefit of the doubt, does something that grabs everybody's attention and unintentionally broadcasts the message "I don't belong at this level", well you know how the story ends because we've all seen it happen. It's a little bit of a perfect storm, but not much of one.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Ch1town

I recently had the opportunity to hear an interview with Mr. John Adams.

Was the interview on the HBO miniseries boxed DVD set. I think that they just got into the stores.