One Person Mechanics ...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

My question to you is how does the JV Officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? The non-varsity officials are coming off the court as you are going onto as a varsity official.
I am also sure that if a state, conference or local association has a policy on how to handle those situations. And in that policy I am sure there are ways to not have all officials go home.

How do the JV officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? This is a sore subject on our local board. We've always had a unofficial policy on our local board that varsity officials get to the site early to watch at least the second half of the junior varsity game, and the junior varsity officials stay and watch at least the first half of the varsity game. The purpose this is to expose the, usually less experienced, junior varsity officials to a the varsity experience. This also allows the varsity, and junior varsity, officials to discuss any odd situations, or interpretations, that may have occurred in either game, this dialog taking place before the varsity game, or at the varsity game halftime. This unofficial policy also allows for our "double secret" peer rating system.

But, alas, it's an unofficial policy. Sometimes the junior varsity officials have just completed a freshman/junior varsity doubleheader, have been at the site from 3:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. and just want to get home, leaving as soon as possible, in uniform, without even taking a shower. In some cases the junior varsity officials want to get out of there as soon as possible to get to their hometown to do a recreation, or travel game (easy money), again leaving, in uniform, without even taking a shower. Sometimes they just leave, no excuse, just walk out the door at the end of their game. We varsity officials can't do anything about this, except giving them a lower rating, because they didn't stay.

Let's forget about back to back games for minute. Let's say that you have a high school freshman game at 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, with no other game to follow, and it's 3:20 p.m. and you have no partner. You call your assigner and no one else in the geographic area is available to fill in. What are some mechanics that can be used by a brand new rookie official, the kind that usually do freshman games, in a one person game?

And what about a single game, only two officials at the site, where one of the offcials gets hurt. Shouldn't the remaining official have some type of plan as to how to best do a one person game?

I'm sure that many or us have worked a one person game at one time or another. Instead of discussing why there is no other official, can we please discuss some mechanics that may give that rookie official some help going into that one person game?

It appears that BadNewsRef was correct. I had no idea that this would become a big brouhaha. Really, I didn't have a clue.

Again, I would appreciate any input into these guidelines.

[JRutledge]

Billy,

I think it is safe to assume that if there is a policy that outlaws such a situation, then it is very possible that there would be all kinds of ways to make sure that does not happen. Just like you do not play the game without a safe environment, if the rule/policy says to not play the game with only one official, then you do not play with one official. It seems simple to me.

I have also worked many games by myself. Many times I have worked by myself because someone did not show up or there was a complete mistake on the person assigning the game. In my cases it was the AD usually did not give the proper information. No shows from an assignor I have not yet experienced.

That being said, when I have worked by myself in a game, I did not follow any set standards or tried to. I understand that this is not the ideal situation, so I do not really care what procedures others follow. I just try to get in the best places to call the play that is in front of me. And that is why many places probably have no written mechanics in the first place. If you want to have them, I likely would not follow them. I just think you cannot put all officials into a perfect box with this kind of situation.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think it is safe to assume that if there is a policy that outlaws such a situation, then it is very possible that there would be all kinds of ways to make sure that does not happen. I have also worked many games by myself. Many times I have worked by myself because someone did not show up or there was a complete mistake on the person assigning the game. In my cases it was the AD usually did not give the proper information.

mikeref's state obviously has such a policy, and safeguards, in place. Maybe all of his games, at all levels, are three person games, so if one official doesn't show, there are two left to work the game. Not so here in my part of Connecticut. All of our local board's games, up to the state quarterfinals, are two person games, although I understand that some "big city" games in the southern part of the state are three person games. We actually have a written contract with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference that stipulates that one official is to receive 150% of the standard game fee.

You haven't been officiating a long time if you have never worked a game by yourself. Just this past season, I showed up to observe the start of a junior varsity game, before my varsity game, to find that, through the fault of the athletic director, no officials had been assigned to the junior varsity game. The A.D. had erroneously heard that the visiting team did not have a junior varsity program. After clearing it with the two varsity coaches, as stipulated by our local board's policy, I quickly got dressed, and worked the J.V. game by myself. With twenty-seven years of experience behind me, I knew instinctively how to best work the game by myself: free throw line to free throw line, meet with the J.V. coaches, and captains, before the game, explain my limitations, and ask them to help me, i.e out of bounds, etc., don't get caught on the baseline, "cheat" on reporting fouls, administer free throws from the trail position, bounce the ball to the throwin player as often as possible, etc.

All I want to do is to write down some of these guidelines, as they have already done i.e. the Kansas State High School Activities Association, through the Topeka Officials Association, http://www.topekaofficials.com/PDF%2...0Mechanics.pdf, and the Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials http://www.greatersudburybbo.com/doingitright.html (IAABO Board 106).

Again, instead of discussing why there is no other official, or how it can be prevented, can we please discuss some guidelines that may give a rookie official some help going into a one person game?

BadNewsRef: Man, were you right.

[BillyMac]

Here is a diagram of the Primary Coverage Areas in a one person game:



I trust that you will find find it helpful.

[JRutledge]

I have always hated the 3 point line to 3 point line mechanic. For one it limits you to one side of the court and it limits your angles. I think you should roam all over the place, where you need to go and what you need to see. And it does not matter if you set guidelines; those guidelines are not going to fit for all situations. Which is why the focus on guidelines is really not something everyone is going to agree on. People do not agree on the mechanics in 2 Person or 3 Person. I really do not know why you think talking about these guidelines and expect everyone is going to agree. That is why I say, do whatever you think you need to do to get you through the game. I will be teaching a basketball class in less than a month from now. I will not once talk about working by alone. And if I have anyone ask, I will tell them do the absolute best you can period.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I have always hated the 3 point line to 3 point line mechanic. For one it limits you to one side of the court and it limits your angles. I think you should roam all over the place, where you need to go and what you need to see. And it does not matter if you set guidelines; those guidelines are not going to fit for all situations. Which is why the focus on guidelines is really not something everyone is going to agree on. People do not agree on the mechanics in 2 Person or 3 Person. I really do not know why you think talking about these guidelines and expect everyone is going to agree.

JRutledge: Thanks for your input. Let's face it. Whether it's due to a illness, or injury, before, or during the game, scheduling error, or irresponsibility, all officials, especially new ones, especially those that may find themselves in this situation for the first time, should be prepared to work a game, maybe a big game, maybe a high level game, maybe a close game, maybe an entire game, by himself, or herself. Be prepared, but hope that it never happens.

The reason why I'm asking for such input is that my local board's interpreter is working on such a project and I wanted to give him some help. At least two other official's organizations (the Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials (IAABO Board 106) and the Topeka Officials Association (Kansas State High School Activities Association) have such guidelines, so we're not the only board that's wants some simple guidelines, although not written in stone, to follow. My guidelines even state "There are many ways to do it, and you may want to experiment with different options to see what works best for you. The following are some one person officiating mechanics that you may want to try". And, to your point, I don't expect everyone to agree, I just want some different ideas. Even the guidelines in Sudbury, and Kansas, don't agree; Kansas has you go from free throw line to free throw line, opposite table side; Sudbury has you go three point line to three point line, table side, as well as giving the option of no front court baseline throwins. In my "hybrid" version, based on my twenty-seven years of experience, I have decided to suggest the Kansas version, it brings you a little closer to the action, at the expense, however, of getting beat downcourt after a quick steal. Also, the Kansas version has you initially set up opposite table side. Sudbury wants you tableside, getting the same look as the coaches. I prefer to ask the coaches for help on difficult table side out of bounds calls, it's a reminder to them that I am trusting them to act in a sporting manner in assisting me when needed.

[refnrev]

There is only way to handle a one person game ---- Get in, do your best, survive, and get out.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think you should roam all over the place, where you need to go and what you need to see.

I have found that this is the best way for me when I have worked alone. You can try to start out thinking you can see enough going from free throw line to free throw line and stay opposite the table, as some suggest. But when the action is in front of the benches and you can't see through people, you need to get your butt over there. I go as deep as I need to and back and forth from table-side to opposite side. I don't see how you can do a good job working alone if you stay on one side of the court. It's hard and you miss things, but you still have to do as good a job as you can.

What I find difficult as well is when my partner shows up in the middle of a game that I started alone. It takes a few minutes for me to stop looking all over the place and stay focused in my primary.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Smitty

What I find difficult as well is when my partner shows up in the middle of a game that I started alone. It takes a few minutes for me to stop looking all over the place and stay focused in my primary.

This is so true.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

How do the JV officials go home without knowing a varsity official has not shown up? This is a sore subject on our local board. We've always had a unofficial policy on our local board that varsity officials get to the site early to watch at least the second half of the junior varsity game, and the junior varsity officials stay and watch at least the first half of the varsity game. ...


But, alas, it's an unofficial policy. Sometimes the junior varsity officials have just completed a freshman/junior varsity doubleheader, have been at the site from 3:15 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. and just want to get home, leaving as soon as possible, in uniform, without even taking a shower. In some cases the junior varsity officials want to get out of there as soon as possible to get to their hometown to do a recreation, or travel game (easy money), again leaving, in uniform, without even taking a shower. Sometimes they just leave, no excuse, just walk out the door at the end of their game. We varsity officials can't do anything about this, except giving them a lower rating, because they didn't stay.

There's a term for those officials....

Paycheck officials...just showing up to earn the check and not doing what it takes to get better or better the organization. The few that do the expected probably get the nod when the assingor needs some new varsity officials....and rightly so.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

There's a term for those officials...Paycheck officials...just showing up to earn the check and not doing what it takes to get better or better the organization. The few that do the expected probably get the nod when the assignor needs some new varsity officials....and rightly so.

Those that do the expected get more than a nod from assigner, they also get a better rating from the varsity officials, which will eventually lead to a lot more nods from the assigner.

Paycheck officials. You hit the nail right on the head.