I worked a Girls Spring League final last night on short notice. The game was pretty good for U15 girls. But for the first time in my 11 year career I got whacked in the face when doing the openning jump ball. I always worried about a guys elbow coming down on the top of my head but now I've got to pay attention to arms swinging out of control too... what is this world coming to???

in your face
 

Good thing they have alt/poss now and you only
have to toss a jump once (unless OT) a game.
I got the ball smacked in my eye 3 jump balls
in a row by a 6'11" all-american back 20 years ago.
Soooo glad that tossing is not a regular thing.
Suggest you keep whistle out of mouth (protect teeth)
and put a hand below the belt (protect jewels).Good thing it was a 15 yr old girl and not Shaq.

Don't know how it happened, but i had a jump ball go off my head and out of bounds.....we had to re-jump, next jump gert smacked in the eye with one of the jumpers hand..... Guess what! OT Another jump ball. I survived (third time was a charm.

AK ref SE

do you take the whistle out of your mouth when you throw the toss? That is a tip taught at camp, thought i would pass it on to you...:) keep smiling!!

I was having a similar conversation with a couple of officials the other night. I always take the whistle out of my mouth, but the other question was, do you look at the ball on its way up after you toss it, or do you look at the players to make sure they don't smack/step on you? I usually don't look up at the ball. Just curious.

I never throw the ball up with the whistle in my mouth, one of my partners early in my career did it once in a game and ended up chipping a tooth. So I learned early...

In my very short experience, with no background, the ball goes where I look. I don't have the skills to do it any other way. So, yes I look up, the way a JH player looks at the basket. Maybe in a few more years, I have enough ability ot look else where -- adn still give a respectable toss.

Hmmm, thinking about how I do this, I look up as I release
the ball. I use the 2 handed toss which tends to protect
my head/shoulders. I try & get the ball off quickly &
up high, I'm happy if I hear at least 1 "oh sh!t" being
mumbled as I let fly. I stay put, arms up, until the
ball is batted out of the circle then I slowly back out.
That's when I start chewing on the whistle. I can't
remember the last time I got whacked on a jump.

BTW, I played with the 1 handed toss for a while, it never
felt right to me.

<b>do you look at the ball on its way up after you toss it</b>

I usually watch the ball go left, right, or forward, but rarely do I watch it go straight up! ;-)

Ditto.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChuckElias

BTW, I played with the 1 handed toss for a while, it never
felt right to me.

I always use the one hand toss. I pick a spot in the air about 3 feet higher than the taller of the two jumpers, then "shot put" the ball to that spot while staring at that spot. As soon as I toss, I move back. Works for me.

BTW - I learned my first year not to have the whistle in my mouth when tossing. This also is good advice when tossing your cookies on a howler monkey's shoes. ;)