How to handle a situation with a partner...

[NewNCref]

Last night I worked a few (3) rec league games with a partner who was officiating his first basketball game ever. He asked how long I had been working basketball, and I told him that this was my third year. I've never been one to give advice or opinion unless asked, but I did tell him that if he had any questions, to feel free to ask. He proceeded to tell me that he was good, but that he didn't want to do any switching because "I don't have time for that stuff". Sign #1.

The first game begins, and my partner does not use signals at all. Not for OOB, fouls, anything. During timeouts, he sits down in the bleachers with the fans, and will not get up until I put the ball in play; yes, in play. Rarely, even when Lead, does my partner venture below the FT line extended. At half time of the first game, I mention that I'm having a hard time because I don't always know what he's calling because there are no signals (trying not to be accusatory and tell him that he needed to give more signals). He proceeds to tell me that it's fine, and we should just keep doing things the same way. Sign #2

At this point (half way through game 1 of 3), I'm in let's get these games over so I can get out of here. The rest of the games proceed as the others had. During the last half of the final game, I was Trail and he was Lead. Shot goes up, bounces off the top of the backboard, and clearly hits the backboard support. After the end of the game (our last), partner asks, "You know that the top of the backboard isn't out of bounds, right?" "Yes," I responded, packing my things to get the heck out of there. "Well, you shouldn't have blown that ball dead then." "Well," I explain, "it hit the backboard support, which is out of bounds, and that's why I blew it deal." "No it didn't," my partner responds, "I had a perfect look at it, and there's no way it hit."

At this point, I was infuriated, and an official who worked in the crew following us saw this, and intervened, asking if he could speak to me. He said "Man, don't worry about it," and I went on my way.

So here are the questions.

1.)What could I have done during the game to have made things better or to have at least kept them from getting worse?

2.) Should I contact my assigner about the situation? My worry is that, as a new varsity official, I don't want to ruffle any feathers that could keep me from getting games.

3.) Is this just par for the course for a new official? I can tolerate kicked rules and poor mechanics, because heck, I still kick rules and don't always use the correct mechanics. But his sense of arrogance and lack of hustle really bothered me. But maybe I'm just overreacting.