One Person Mechanics ...

[BillyMac]

Forum members: I need your help. I've been trying to come up with a set of guidelines for one person mechanics. I found two websites, the Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials (IAABO Board 106) website, and the Kansas State High School Activities Association website, that had similar, yet slightly different guidelines, so I came up with a "hybrid" version using both sources. I would like your input before I send it on to my interpreter:

ONE PERSON MECHANICS GUIDELINES

For those who officiate long enough, the inevitable will occur; your partner will get hurt, or not show up for a scheduled contest, leaving you as a one person crew. One of the unfortunate aspects of working basketball is having to work games using one person mechanics. This is almost never a fun, or easy way, to work a game. Yet, when you are put in this situation, what do you do? 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.

It is important to note that if no Board X officials are available, do not accept an offer from a parent, or other non-Board X official, to assist. Liability, as well as, competency, and fairness concerns, could be involved.

Coaches and Administrators Conference
The first thing that you should do is to bring both coaches, and the game administrator, together, explaining that your partner has not shown, or is injured, and that you will be officiating the game alone, to make sure that everyone is in agreement that the game will be played under these circumstances. Set the parameters for the game at this time. This will give them an idea of what to expect if they agree to play the game with only one official. Be honest and upfront that you are going to miss calls because there will be things that you will not be able to see. Request coaches cooperation, express advance appreciation for them assisting you in keeping themselves, and the game, under control. Tell them that you may even ask them for help on out of bounds calls in front of them. This is a great time to stress and remind them of the importance of good sportsmanship and the example that they can and should set for their players. Advise the game administrator that the cooperation of spectators will also be expected.

Pregame Captains And Coaches Meeting
In the pregame meeting with the captains and coaches, explain that you will appreciate, and expect, the cooperation from all ten players on the floor. You may ask them for help on out of bounds calls. Tell them that if you do not know who caused the ball to go out of bounds, and both sides try to argue that it was off of the other team, then the possession arrow will be used. If you tell them your expectations up front, they will work with you. Let them know that you expect the players to retrieve all loose balls out of bounds, since you are observing the players on the court.

Front Court Floor Coverage
The best position from which to work is probably from free throw line extended to free throw line extended, opposite the scorer’s table. As the ball goes toward the opposite sideline, you will have to move off the sideline toward the center of the floor. Avoid getting caught on the baseline. While sometimes necessary to cover a player near it, a see through principle may offer better total officiating positioning. Remember to call the obvious.

Out of Bounds
Have players assist you on out of bounds calls. If you’re not sure who touched the ball last, observe the reaction of the players. If you’re still not sure, ask who touched it last. Any disagreement results in the alternating possession deciding. No dialogue, discussion, or disagreement. Put the ball in play. After designating the spot, move a short distance away and bounce the ball, like a free throw, to the player for the throwin.

Three Point Shots
Admittedly, one person cannot see everything, so, do not guess. Remember, if one person could work a game as effectively as two or three, then why would administrators, and coaches, be demanding more than one official.

Reporting Fouls
Cheat a little bit on the reporting position. By remaining in the middle of the floor, your peripheral vision should enable you to observe all the players.

Free Throw Coverage
On free throws, you need to get the players set and then administer every shot from the trail position. Notice initial placement of the shooter’s feet, but then focus attention on the nonshooters, particularly when a miss, and a rebound, occurs.

Presses
For pressing situations, you will need to be no lower than the free throw line extended in the backcourt. If you go any deeper than this, you will not have any chance to make a call if there is a long pass to the other end of the floor. This is the same reason that you do not want to work all the way to the baseline when you are in the front court, or on baseline throwins.

Maintain Control of the Game
In a game you are working solo, you may need to blow your whistle more often than you might in a game using a normal two person crew. You need to do this to maintain control, as the players will realize that there is only one of you and try to take advantage of the situation. If you take charge early it will help keep the crazy stuff in check. The coaches will understand the difficult situation that you have been placed in, but may sometimes forget in the heat of battle. Expect that, but keep your cool and remind them of your position, and that you are working hard for them. Coaches must control their emotions. Do not argue with them, or let them put you in a position where you feel guilty about not being able to see everything. Do the best you can, it’s not your fault that this undesirable situation exists.

Compensation
Make sure that all of your pertinent pay information is turned in to the game administrator. The fee for a one person game is 150% of the normal game fee. Unless there was only one official originally scheduled for the game, the Commissioner should be notified as soon as possible regarding this situation.

Maintain your sense of humor and composure. Some interaction with players and coaches will work to your advantage. Remember that, approached properly; people will almost always be willing to assist. Relax. No one will expect you to be perfect. Remember that you are the best official on the floor, albeit the only one.
If you are put in the spot of working alone, adapt the ideas above to make your task just a little bit more manageable. It will also make you appreciate your partner a lot more the next game you work.

Sources: Greater Sudbury Board of Basketball Officials (IAABO Board 106)
Topeka Officials Association (Kansas State High School Activities Association)

[Raymond]

Last time there was a discussion of 1-man mechanics it became a big bruhaha. Definitely an example of what causes cowboys to disappear.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Last time there was a discussion of 1-man mechanics it became a big bruhaha. Definitely an example of what causes cowboys to disappear.

I think that was before my time. I'll take a chance that it won't cause any esteemed members to quit.

[mikeref]

This is a no brainer for me...under no circumstances do I work a game alone. The liability factor is just too great. Forget about being the "nice guy" and "doing it for the kids" or whatever excuse you can think of. In today's society there will always be someone waiting to take advantage of the situation. I know it is sad to say, but it is the truth!! Besides, our state athletic association specifically forbids officials from working games by themselves. If there is not another certified offical present..I'm sorry but the game does not get played!

[JRutledge]

You can come up with all the scenarios and logic to what you can do when working by yourself, it means nothing when the game starts. You just have to do the best you can and hope that players are accommodating. Many calls are obvious, but it is the bangers that will be a problem. You really can only call the obvious fouls and violations.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by mikeref

This is a no brainer for me...under no circumstances do I work a game alone. The liability factor is just too great. Forget about being the "nice guy" and "doing it for the kids" or whatever excuse you can think of. In today's society there will always be someone waiting to take advantage of the situation. I know it is sad to say, but it is the truth!! Besides, our state athletic association specifically forbids officials from working games by themselves. If there is not another certified official present..I'm sorry but the game does not get played!

You must be fortunate enough to have a lot of officials working in your area. We service almost 70 high schools, meaning that we service boys and girls varsity, boys and girls junior varsity, and boys and girls freshman games, at those schools, as well as many middle schools that feed into those high school programs, with only about 220 officials. Weekend games, and night games, are usually not a problem, although we often have to schedule some officials for freshman/junior varsity, or junior varsity/varsity doubleheaders. The big problem for us are the afternoon freshman, and middle school, games, that often start at 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. Most of our officials, like myself, work regular 8 to 4, or 9 to 5 jobs, and can't make those afternoon games, so we very often have only one official scheduled for those games.

mikeref's statement above has a lot of merit to it, especially since his state athletic association forbids one official games, however, please comment on the following scenarios:

Your scheduled for a single varsity game. The junior varsity officials have already left the site (a problem in itself, as far as I'm concerned) when you get a call on your cell phone, five minutes before game time, that your partner has been in a car accident, or is very ill, and will not make the game, or you don't get a call because a scheduling mistake has been made and you don't have a scheduled partner. The bleachers are filled to capacity, the band is playing, the cheerleaders are getting ready for the game, the table has the scorebooks ready (OK, maybe I went too far), the local press, and cable television guys are ready, and the players are warming up. You call your assigner and find out that no other official is available due to scheduling, availability, illness, injury, etc., because it's a busy Friday night (the biggest basketball night of the week here in Connecticut).

Now, in mikeref's state, the decision would be out of your hands, since they forbid one official games, you just send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. In the absence of that state rule, what would you do? Here in Connecticut, and in Sudbury, Canada, and in Kansas, we would play the game with one official, and unless you are an experienced official like me, who's done quite a few one man games over the past 27 years, you could use some tried and true mechanics to follow.

Also, does mikeref's state athletic association cover middle school games, and other games such as recreation leagues, Catholic elementary schools, travel teams, AAU games, etc.? If these programs are not covered by the state athletic association rule, what would you do in a similar situation?

In addition, what happens, with only two officials at the site at 8:00 pm., in the fourth period of a big game, one of the varsity officials pulls a hamstring, or twists an ankle, or tears an Achilles, or tears an ACL? Shouldn't the remaining official have some type of plan as to how to best do a one person game? If sure that even in mikeref's state, you probably must start a game with at least two officials, but I doubt that when one official goes down with an injury with five minutes to go in the fourth period, in a two point game, that the state association makes you send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. We should all have some type of plan when we do a one person game.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Your statement above has a lot of merit to it, especially since your state athletic association forbids one official games, however, please comment on the following scenario:

Your scheduled for a single varsity game. The junior varsity officials have already showered and left the site (a problem in itself, as far as I'm concerned) when you get a call on your cell phone, five minutes before game time, that your partner has been in a car accident, or is very ill, and will not make the game, or you don't get a call because a scheduling mistake has been made and you don't have a scheduled partner. The bleachers are filled to capacity, the band is playing, the cheerleaders are getting ready for the game, the table has the scorebooks ready (OK, maybe I went too far), the local press, and cable television guys are ready, and the players are warming up. You call your assigner and find out that no other official is available due to scheduling, availability, illness, injury, etc., because it's a busy Friday night (the biggest basketball night of the week here in Connecticut). Now, in your state, the decision would be out of your hands, since they forbid one official games, you just send everybody home, put away the balls, turn out the lights, and lock the gymnasium doors. In the absence of that state rule, what would you do? Here in Connecticut, and in Sudbury, Canada, and in Kansas, we would play the game with one official, and unless you are an experienced official like me, who's done quite a few one man games over the past 27 years, you could use some tried and true mechanics to follow. Also, does your state athletic association cover middle school games, and other games such as recreation leagues, Catholic elementary schools, travel teams, AAU games, etc.? If these programs are not covered by the state athletic association rule, what would you do in a similar situation?

I understand where you are going with this. 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. That would be nearly impossible unless the JV/sophomore or prelim game (whatever you call it in your area) if you have at least one officials in the game before. Even in a tournament setting where there are multiple games. Someone is around to work that game. Then again where I live I do not know when the last time I have heard of a 2 Person game on purpose. I am sure there are others from my state that has different experiences. It just does not happen very often here in the Chicago and surrounding suburbs and it certainly does not happen in my experiences in central Illinois and other parts further south.

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. I really do not think it is that complicated.

Peace

[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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by refnrev

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

Don't forget to pick up your check on the way out. In the Constitution State, for a one person game, we get 150% of the game fee, it's written in our contract with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletics Conference, our state sports governing body. That would mean a check for $79.92 (2007-08) for a one person subvarsity game, or a check for $123.26 (2007-08) for a one person varsity game (very rare).

"Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, and over these ideals they dispute and cannot unite; but they all worship money". (Mark Twain, a Connecticuter himself)