It had to happen eventually.
 

I've been having a run of great partners this season. Luck ran out yesterday. I filled in for a Jr High game without knowing even the name of my partner. Maybe the original official knew better than I did.

As I was being taken to a room to change, I look across the court and see my partner coming into the gym. I take note of the large black collar on his shirt, the black dockers and belt, and his apparent lack of mobility. This guy had to have bad knees or hips and was carrying way to much weight on top of that.

We talked before the toss and I was beginning to think this will be OK. That was short lived. He blew a whistle for something about every 30 seconds. The first time I had to administer a throw in, I looked out to see his open hand in the air, so I waited for the subs. There weren't any. He had his hand up to chop the clock! He did this every time!

Here's a rundown of some other things:

1) At halftime of game one, he tells me as lead I have to start calling fouls under the basket, the asks me if this is my first year, and rolls his eyes when I say 6th.

2) I have to whistle a foul (huge contact) from almost the opposite foul line because he couldn't transition on a steal from trail to lead. Also, I consistently had to go endline to endline, since he couldn't transition quickly enough.

3) Following a Technical Foul (second plane violation) he insisted we inbound where the original throw in was, not at the division line. I asked about this after the game and he said all "personal technicals" went to the nearest OOB to where the foul occurred. (I set him straight with the rule book.)

4) As lead, he was often positioned outside the 3 point arc onto the court about 2 ft.

5) Phantom foul calls in my primary, after telling me he wouldn't call anything in my area. At times there was no contact at all, not even incidental contact I let pass.

There are so many more I won't mention now. All this from a guy who claims he's officiated 42 years!

It was Get In. Get Done. Get Out. I felt for the coaches and players. They asked me some things but they knew there wasn't anything I could do.

I know who my partner is tonight. I'm looking ahead to getting last night out of my system.

Just as you said, "get in, get done, get out."

Hartsy: If you normally work JrHigh I would consider yourself lucky that it took this long into the season to work with someone like that. Not everyone at the level is bad but there are going to more than at higher levels. It is what it is.

Email Script to Assignor
 

"Hello _____________! Thank you for the assignments I've received from you thus far. For the good of the game, would it be okay for me to offer some input regarding the last assignment? There may be a situation of which you might not be aware but might appreciate learning. (Paste discussion board bullet points here).
Thank you very much for allowing me to contribute to the good of the game in this way. As always, I look forward to whatever assignments you select to give me in the future!"

Fortunately, most of my games are JV, both Boys and Girls. All of the Jr High games outside of last night are scheduled with a guy I work with a lot. Given what I saw from my partner last night, I'm not surprised I haven't seen him at a JV or Varsity game in my 6yr career.

BTW, Freddy, the note to the assignor sounds like a great idea.

Hartsy, this is proper mechanic for 3 man. Although you should turn your hand at an angle so you can distinguish it from STOP sign. Trail chops in clock on every throw-in. In Georgia, we had trail chop in even in 2 man. Other than that, my heart goes out to ya, man!

It's not standard 3-person mechanic everywhere (I don't think it's the FED standard, but since we don't use the FED mechanics book, I don't know for sure).

When it's used in NCAAW, the T doesn't hold up his/her hand until the L is ready to administer the throw-in (and gives the whistle). This is one way to distinguish the "chop" from the "stop" sign.

That's not the proper mechanic in these parts...

the official administering the throw-in chops the clock.

Bob...you guys whistle every throw-in for NFHS or just NCAAW?

I didn't say it was

It's also not the NFHS mechanic.

OK. Let me be more specific. It is the mechanic used in GHSAA. There may be other states also that use it. I prefer it. Table prefers it.

:D I would prefer it also.

Not the Fed 3-man mechanic. NCAAW

It is the NCAAW mechanic only on the throw-in baseline in the front court.
The trail then chops time to assist the table in seeing when to start the clock.

It appeals to your logical mind :D