If by "good game management" you mean that you allow teams extra time to get out of their timeout huddle so that you don't have to put the ball on the floor, I would question your "game management".

I've had an increasing number of players who remain inbounds to set up their play and/or recieve instructions from their coach before stepping back out of bounds to take the ball from me. In this situation I've usually said something like "We're ready #12", or "Here we go #12" and the player has stepped back and taken the ball for the throw in. On a few occasions however, the player has seemed to ignore my request so I have put the ball down and started my count. It seems to me that some coaches must be instructing their players to try to get some more time to set up by standing inbounds by the official. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Just curious.

Unfortunately, kids don't always respond. At some point, I'm no longer going to prod them. If they ignore me, I tweet, count to two, tweet and put it on the floor.

I'm using the 2006 ARS books that are stored on my work desktop. That's why my references are pre-2007. But I am assuming they are the same references, correct?

Reading is fundamental... I never said I allow extra time to get out of their huddle...

Question all you like but it works... I work strictly 3 man crews. When you have one offiicial at each huddle at the warning horn and one "in" the huddle at the final buzzer, the teams come out almost always without a problem. If they don't I have a talk with the coach suggesting that the ball will be placed on the floor and this has always solved the problem. When the officials are right there clapping and verbalizing the kids come out... Good game management.

It works... like I said... I have not had to put the ball down in years and I don't have to wait or beg/repeatedly blow my whistle.

In fact, around here officials who put the ball down are looked at as those who are not capable of keeping the game moving through effective game mangement practices.

Around here those officials are known as those who ARE capable of keeping the game moving through effective RULE BOOK practices. :rolleyes:

Ahh yes... but if you manage the situation and pre game handling these things you never have to get to the "rule" of putting the ball on the floor.

I can tell by your :rolleyes: smiley that this concept is lost on you so I will not waste anymore bandwidth explaining it to you.

I think this is regional. In some areas, the coaches have been trained to get out quickly. Others, they linger as long as they're allowed to. My most recent area, I didn't put the ball down in the two years I worked there. It didn't take a whole lot of GM on my part, either.
Mentioned it to coaches in the pre-game (Per instructions from the state) and the coaches were all on board.

I think this might work better with 3-man mechanics than 2-man mechanics as well. It's more difficult with 2-man mechanics to linger around one or both team's huddles, especially when one of you is standing at the throw-in spot. I won't walk across the court to remind a team that they need to break up the huddle. I will put the ball on the floor and once is usually enough to get the message across.

:D

Try cutting back on the "meds." ;)

So you feel that anyone who puts the ball on the floor and begins counting, just as described in the rule and case book, is incapable of effectively managing the game? It's disappointing that you would assume that.

But I've got news for you. Placing the ball on the floor can also be a very effective game management practice. In fact, it's advocated by my state association, which has established a specific procedure for doing so.

Concur. My experience is also mostly 2-man, sub-varsity and while rare, putting the ball down on an oft occasion works for me.

Tony....

With all due respect for you, If that is what your state association wants you to do, by all means do it. That is not what is wanted around my parts at all and we are instructed to avoid using this rule if at all possible. Again, the game moves along and it really is not an issue around here. Maybe its a regional thing where teams have problems getting out of huddles but around here, when the final horn blows the teams come out ready to play.

Its not babysitting or anything else... you hit the whistle, say final horn let's go and they come on out. I have not had to use this "rule" in years...

Great! But don't assume others incapable just because they use a tool provide by the NFHS. :)