High School mechanic
 

Who stops the clock with an Closed fist before you signal for a player control foul?? Or (like me) go directly to the block/charge call in an effor to better sell the call.

My association had a long discussion about this mechanic in an effort to avoid the "blarge".

Neither. Stop the clock with a fist. Make sure your partner isn't going to sell something opposite of what you have. Then give the PC or block signal.

Always stop the clock with a fist for a foul.

I do or at least I try to do this every time. You need to do it to give yourself a second or two to realize someone else has a whistle too.

Peace

I didn't mean open hand, I meant to say fist first then your block/charge signal. In our meeting, predominately, guys go directly to the block/charge mechanic without indicating a foul.

This will be a hard habit for me to break.

But if it saves you even a single blarge, it'll be worth the effort.

Habitually, I went right to the block/charge. But I now use the fist. I think you'll be able to work it into your game easily.

Proper mechanics are important, so yes use the CLOSED FIST to stop clock, then give Player control/block mechanic!

Any problem with BLARGES in your association??? This seems like it's asking for trouble!

The association president had a blarge last year, and he said the whole game went down hill from there. So I don't think there is a problem, but just a discussion topic.

While having this this discussion, I realized my mechanic has been wrong for some time.

I always use an open- or closed-hand to stop the clock. I believe it's an important signal to communicate with the timer. I know it has been discussed previously on this board that it isn't necessary on certain calls (ie jump-balls) but I do it because that's what I've been taught at camps. I pay those guys a lot of money to teach me good techniques so I am going to follow it. They also assign me games too ;)

-Josh

I see at least two problems. . .

They made a big deal this year at our rules meeting about "whistle blows, hand goes up". (Fist for foul, open hand for violation.) That's what stops the clock, then signal appropriately. This also helps avoid the blarge as it gives you that moment to make eye contact with your partner to (hopefully) avoid those types of calls.

U.P. here the whistle stops the clock.
Good thing, too! Because some officials don't get those hands up high enough for the timer (or Partner) to see.

Not trying to be argumentative, but WHY are they important? Saying it is cause someone says it is doesn't do much for me, really.

Most officials in our area simply point on out-of-bounds calls. Doesn't the whistle stop the clock?

Several have already pointed out that it's important to avoid blarges. In your case, you probably won't have many double-whistles on your OOB line (I hope not anyway).

When I went through my first "official" camp, a beginner's camp in 1997, we were taught on PCs to go straight to the PC call. On blocks, we were taught to stop the clock with the fist first and then go with the prelim. At the time, we were told the PC signal was also a stop-clock signal. Was this ever true?

Except in the corner, maybe :)

I try to slow down on block/charge calls, but I've noticed partners who call a charge with a point the other way. I let partner take those, natch.

Because it slows you down. If officials at all levels of high school just pointed, they might point the wrong way. That does not mean that you could not disagree with that, but I think at the high school level (and even the college level) we should use the stop clock signals. I guess on out of bounds call usually does not cause a problem, but it can. I have seen people using the stop clock signal not pay attention on point the wrong way while the other partner signals the other way.

Peace