PCA or Get it right, throwing gas on the fire
 

In looking up the official mechanics for stopping the clock on a held ball, I ran across these little gems:

2.4.1.A.2 Typically an official should call violations in his/her PCA, but any violation observed should be called.

2.4.2.A.2 Typically an official should call fouls in his/her PCA, but any foul observed should be called.

So now I can point to the officials manual to back me up when I go fishing in my partner's pond. :D

<insert very evil-sounding laugh sound here>

I agree!

I have a faster reaction time than most of my colleagues, so when I see a foul, I have a whistle right away. I have no problem ball hawking, so I think that the games should be paid via piecework - on a per call basis. :eek:

But can you justify looking in your partner's area in the first place? :eek:

What fouls or violations were occurring in your PCA while you were watching elsewhere? :D

Party Pooper

Sometimes (more than "rarely"), yes, you can justify it.

My problem is "turning it off".

I work allot of youth wreck ball with new, very inexperienced young refs. I watch more of the court than I should to control the game and hopefully give the players, etc. a better product.

When I work my HS league schedule I really have to concentrate hard on my areas and try not to poach......

Can one justify hiding one's head in the sand with a weak, struggling or straight-lined partner?
As you know, experience tells us where, why, and when. ;)

Hey, BITS.

Get your tongue out of your cheek.

Sure, the blame for his performance falls on the person who gave him the assignment that he obviously wasn't capable of handling.

Is he going to give up part of his game fee to compensate for the extra work that is being done in his area by his partner?

I'm a big believer that people have to pull their own weight, and that is certainly the case if they are receiving equal compensation.

If we don't help that partner and the game goes into the toilet bowl, do we not look like floating, brown things?

I'll be concentrating on my PCA and making sure that nothing happens there which makes the game go into the toilet bowl. ;)

There are too many exceptions and situations where things could change.

I would suggest that anyone call a foul or violation clearly in their area. But if there is a foul or violation that is extremely obvious or a partner might be screened off by circumstance, I see no problem with calling in someone's area. This just better by very rare.

Peace

Every aspiring basketball official has learned one of the golden rules of
officiating -- stay in your primary. An official that constantly makes calls
in front of his partner will undoubtedly suffer negative consequences.

Veterans, for instance, will immediately reject a young official that makes
calls in from of them. Calling a long distance foul, however, is not always
a bad thing. Officials must learn to pick and choose the opportunity to reach for a call.

The Non-Basketball Play

A non-basketball play is generally one that involves physical contact beyond the scope allowed by the rules. For example, an elbow, punch, or kick directed at an opponent can be labeled as a non-basketball play. Any
official that witnesses any of these actions must have the guts to make the call, even if he is 94 feet away from the incident. The consequences of not making the call are too great.

Non-basketball plays, therefore, can never be ignored. In other words, an official cannot get away with saying to his partner, "Well, it was right in front of you. I thought you let it go." This is a terrible explanation that has zero merit. Make the call!

The Right Angle

It is also okay to make a call when you have the right angle and can see a play where your partner might be straight-lined. For example, if you are working the Center position and can see that the defensive player shoves an offensive player with a forearm in the middle of the back, you can reach outside of your primary and make the call. There are times when you are in
the only person in the gym that can see such a play. The key, however, is to
ensure that you let the play develop. In other words, wait a split second to
see if the forearm did indeed impact the shot. If the player is able to put
the ball in the hole, you might be seeing things. There are times when your
judgment fails.

When making a call outside of your primary it is a good idea to close the gap between where you are when the whistle was blown and where the play occurred. You must sprint to the play and sell the call. Unless there is a
kid on the floor bleeding from the malicious contact, it is imperative that
you let everyone know what happened. Plus, if physical play is involved, you
must get to the scene and prevent any further problems from occurring.

Non-basketball plays can ruin a game. While some of these plays are spontaneous, most of them develop over the course of a game. It is important that we enforce the rough play guidelines. Also, preventive officiating can
help a crew avoid ugly situations.

In short, never be afraid to reach out of your primary to make a game-saving call. If someone on your crew does not see it or call it, the game will spiral out of control.

There have certainly been times when I've had a partner step into my PCA and get a call where I've been greatful...there are any number of reasons....got straightline, had a bad angle, etc. There are also many times when I've had a partner step into my PCA and I've wondered why they were blowing the whistle (since I had a great look at the play).

Which one happens more? I don't know....but I doubt it is dramatically lopsided.

We're called the Third Team for a reason!

When Your Hot Your Hot ...
 

or checking out the hot mother in the third row.

I'm sorry. I simply will not stand for this in my game. If I am busy checking out the hot mothers in the stands, my partner had better NOT be looking there too. Somebody's gotta watch my area! ;)