Preparing for partners who are new

[Adam]

Originally Posted by zeedonk

Oh, I absolutely agree. I am certainly not implying that I am now the Wizard of Pregame, or of anything else. Just concerned about how to handle certain situations... I KNOW that my partners last year took care of me and I didn't always ask what they said. I figured if they wanted me to know, they'd tell me.

One of my goals this year is coach/sideline control, which means more interaction with the coaches than I had last year. I want to avoid any catastrophic land mines in my brief interactions on the sidelines...

Z

Fair enough.

Never tell a coach how long you or your partner have been reffing; unless you've been doing it since before he was born (also known as the Padgett Clause).

Never tell a coach your partner missed a call, or a series of calls. If he asks about your partner's call, tell him he'll need to ask your partner when he gets a chance.

Keep an eye on your partner when he's talking to the coaches, to make sure he's not taking more than he should. But it's best to generally let your partner speak for himself. If you see he's getting distracted by the coach, talk to your partner about taking care of business. Offer to step in with the T if he needs you to.

Pregame? Tell him to relax and call what he sees. Tell him to have fun. Then, right before you take the court, tell him to check his zipper.

The last step should be skipped if you don't have a dressing room.