1. Ten second rule states "A player shall not be, nor may his/her team be, in continuous control of a ball which is in his/her backcourt for 10 seconds." If Team A is bringing ball up against pressure, and 7-8 seconds have elapse, Team A calls time out. When play resumes, does team A get a new 10 seconds since there is no control on throw-in?

2. This weekend we were playing (6th grade level) and T was called on the other team. I picked a player from my bench to shoot these (he reported properly) since there is a wide discrepancy in shooting ability at this age. Both officials said I could not do this, they must be shot by a player who is in the game. I believe rule clearly states any player can shoot the T, even an entering sub. Am I correct in this. And if so, is there a "correct" or "Tactful" way I can convey this to the officials before the shots are taken. I had my rule book in my pocket as I always do. Or must I wait until the game is over and talk to them?

Yes, new 10sec count. Yes, a sub off the bench can shoot the "T". At this level, at most ask if they could look up that rule and then drop it.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Geneva">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bart Tyson on 02-14-2000 11:59 AM

At this level, at most ask if they could look up that rule and then drop it. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

While you are correct in that any sub can shoot the Ts (in fact, two different players can each shoot one), the proper procedure when a coach disagrees with a rule interpretation is that the burden of proof is on the coach, not the referees. The coach must show them, not the other way around.

Mark you are correct. I'm thinking at this level, i don't think the officials would be much for listening. If they were willing to listen then great.

John, I'm a first-year official, and I'm doing a lot of games at your level. If you could show me my mistake, very quickly, so as to not hold up the game, I would administrate the play properly. I feel that getting the game right is more important than my potential embarrassment.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Geneva">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mark Padgett on 02-14-2000 05:55 PM
While you are correct in that any sub can shoot the Ts (in fact, two different players can each shoot one), the proper procedure when a coach disagrees with a rule interpretation is that the burden of proof is on the coach, not the referees. The coach must show them, not the other way around.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And that was the basis of my question. Is it proper for the coach to pull the rule book out during the game. I don't want to appear arrogant, and I sure don't want to make the official look bad. But in a situation where you know you are right and they are wrong, is there a proper procedure for approaching the official and showing him the rule?

Any time you whip out the book, you are making an official look bad. No matter who is ultimately correct, the officials are perceived to have the book memorized. If you are wrong, you lost credibility and basically have to be quiet the rest of the game. If you win, the crowd would never let the official off the hook. Especially, a newer official, you need to be very cautious with. Remember, he is just like your kids on the court. You wouldn't rant and rave and go off on one of them for making a small mistake. This case you present is really minor. Yeah, you could argue that if allowed, the sub would have made both free throws instead of missing one, but that is a gamble at best. I know you want the best for your kids and you deserve that. You will be fully respected by acting as a mentor/teacher with the book after the game. Making him look like an ass will either ruin him or piss him off. You don't want either over one minor call. We need good refs and everyone has to start somewhere. That somewhere is in youth leagues or intramurals. Understand that as a reality before you ever walk in the gym.

John -

This is not an obscure rule. And it is a situation that pops up quite a bit. The refs should have known it. A ref should never guess and I think these refs were guessing. Rather than admit they weren't sure and lose credibility they gave you a resounding confident answer. You are darn tootin who shoots the Ts could affect the outcome. I know it is only 6th grade but the rule is there for a reason. Ts are meant to cause harm to the offending team - best shooter at the line. And I don't think it is unreasonable for you to ask in a polite manner to check the rules on that one.

John -

BTW, did the refs start 10 second count over after timeout? Hope they did or I would suggest you provide more training for the refs in your youth league or hire certified refs.

All officials should realize when they were potentially wrong. I use the concept that when I am uncomfortable about a call that I made, I check the rule book at half time or immediately after the game to ensure that I know the rule from that point forward and do not make the same mistake again. It all goes back to using your mistakes as a learning process.

Bruce -

Thats a good habit to get into. I worked a game last year and my partner made a call in the second half that coach disagreed with. Don't remember the call but what was important was that after the game was over my partner checked the rulebook, saw he was wrong and apologized to the coach for getting it wrong. Definitely good public relations. Coach respected my partner's professionalism and maturity and reacted with "nobody's perfect" and thanks for taking the time to make sure next time you get it right. Learn from our mistakes and there will be fewer and fewer each time.

John,

Hopefully those refs gave a new 10 sec count and you should have been allowed to let the sub in to shoot the T. It was better to wait until after the game to show the refs their error and hopefully they wouldn't take you as a know-it-all coach, who is trying to show them up.

------------------
B-Lipscomb