Officiating from the middle of the lane
 

I guess we can call this the anti-Ed Hightower directive.

https://www.eofficials.com/ESO_Repos...0of%202008.pdf

Anyone want to start a pool on whether he'll change?
How about if he'll work the NCAA tournament or Final Four?

I heard that Mr. Adams wants to change the status quo. It seems he has targeted some specific behaviors of long-time veteran officials.

This bulletin points out another tactic that is used by some Final Four regulars:

"10. After made baskets, the new trail official must “stay behind” to referee the throw in and then trail the dribbler up the floor until he can take a normal position as the trail (or now possibly center) official in the front court. It is unacceptable mechanic to referee the throw in after a made basket from a position on the playing court in front of the thrower-in."

Some of this might just be semantics / mis-speaking. Wherever the L official is located is, by definition, the "strong side." Many people use the terms strong side and ball side interchangeably (since they are oftne the same and should be the same most of the time).

If that's the case in Mr. Adams' statement, then I agree with him. L should never move *away* from the ball to stand "in the paint." I don't follow specific officials as much as some of you jock-sniffers (and I'm not referrring to any person in particular here, and I'm not implying Nevada is one), so I don't know if Ted Valentine does this.

If Mr. Adams means that the L shouldn't move into the paint on a drive from C's side, then I disagree with him. You can get a better look at the weakside defense from the middle than you can from the far side if you are late to rotate (not necessarily through any fault of your own).

This comes from the memo that BadNews cited and seems to be what Mr. Adams is trying to say.

4. The lead official MUST get to the strong or ball side of the court as quickly as
possible in order to get in good position to see the play start develop and finish.
There have been numerous observations of lead officials getting settled in on the
base line and not moving as ball moves from side to side on the court. Good positioning enhances our chances to get the plays right.

Bob, are you saying that you regularly look to call across the paint?

This echoes what I've been getting drilled into me this year. Get over there!

So, he thinks it's better to officiate this play from OOB, rather than to be a step inbounds where you can see the thrower, plane and defender? :confused:

I think that in both of these situations, Adams is attempting to get rid of some bad habits that have cropped up over the years...1)he is not saying "don't pinch the paint". He is saying "don't pinch the paint when you have had plenty of time to get your a$$ across the key and be in a good position to see the whole play"...2) The one step onto the court to get a better angle is fine. It's the guys that start walking up the court as soon as the ball goes through the net and then end up almost at the free throw line extended by the time the ball is actually inbounded. They are way out of position if anything happens to that inbound pass.

Again, I think he is just trying to clean up some sloppy mechanics that seem to have worked their way into the NCAA games.

I know this is NCAA and 3-man, but what is the philosophy for the Lead in a 2-man system? Since the Trail has his side clear to the endline, and the arc (top of the key) round to the foul line extended (The "L" Shape), shouldn't the Lead drift away from the T's endline coverage and focus only on the paint?

I get so pumped when Nevada screws up....
 

I guess this is NCAA shorthand for picking a nit? So many things are over my head.:D

Wow, it's a Christmas miracle.

God bless us, every one.

Hopefully, you're correct. I could live with that. I don't want to get caught standing OOB behind the thrower on this play.

I can, a drive right down the middle of the paint.

No.

But sometimes, there is a skip-pass-and-a-drive. OR. a drive-from-strong-side-and-a-dish-to-the-weak-side-when-the-defense-helps. Or a drive-from-the-top-against-a-zone.

Not enough time to rotate. But, at some point during those plays C will be straightlined (almost no matter where s/he goes), so L can move to help.

It's directed at officials who walk up the court with their back to the ball as it is being inbounded. I have noticed this often by certain officials.

I would prefer not to have the player coming directly at me. I would pinch the paint tightly but leave myself an angle to see the entire play.

Is this the Tim Higgins directive?

It is ok for the L to come across in 2-man NFHS mechanics but I got burnt in a state championship game.

Ball settled in the post position, I had come across for the post action. A1 a little taller and heavier than B1 but B1 just playing good defense, playing straight up moving her feet, not allowing A1 to get to the basket. A1 makes a bad decision and threw the ball into the middle of a busy key and I was blocked out. Ball went OOB on my side line, which I called but had no idea who touched it last and neither did my partner (had I not come across the play would have been obvious to me I believe but at the same time I would not have had a good look at the post action and neither would the T). We went with AP but a big play in a 1-point game.

Funny you should say that. I was told at a camp by a Final Four official when I was getting ahead of the ball handler on a press (no pressure), "When you work multiple Final Fours you may be able to do that, but until then stay behind the dribbler."

Message was received. :D

Peace

I can tell you from personal experience as I have been to 3 of John Adam's camps before he became the Coordinator of the NCAA Men's Basketball. John does not want officials in the lane (other than rotating) and he does not want people to go across to call things as the Lead. I will assume that all the comments that I heard about this, did come from things John wanted his officials to do and were far reaching with his evaluators at camp. And he also likes a lot of rotating when possible. I am sure this directive is just an extension of what has been already voiced if you either worked for John at all his levels when he was a coordinator and is coming to the forefront as the NCAA Coordinator.

Peace

As we gain experience, we understand that there will be plays that the C absolutely cannot see and the Lead can. However, if we talk about that as the exception rather than the norm the game can be called how it was meant to be. Simply: the Lead has the option of rotating and the C has a defined primary. More times than not, the C can/should move to get a position on plays in his/her primary. Calling across the paint and/or getting caught in the middle of a rotation either doesn't happen often, is the result of ball watching or is the result of bad mechanics.

thanks for your input....appreciated.....

Or the Jim Burr directive? Or the Steve Welmer? Or the, never mind, I think I recognize the pattern.