Closely Guarded Count by the Lead
 

We have been having a discussion concerning who owns the closely guarded count in the lead's primary when using 3-man mechanics. During a local association meeting early in the season concerning mechanics, an official who moved in from another part of the country indicated that where he was from the Lead NEVER was responsible for the closely guarded count. Most officials in our local association felt that the Lead was still responsible for the closely guarded count in the Lead's primary.

How do others handle this?

I never do this as the Lead in 3-whistle mechanics.

The Lead's responsibility is post play and plays near the basket. Having a closely guarded the responsibility from the lead, will potentially take them away from the basket in what they are watching. We do not have the lead give such a count and I think it is stupid to do otherwise.

Peace

JRut,
I basically agree with your statements. But, let's say an entry pass has just been made into the post who is on the low block. If there are eight players on the ball side, doesn't this put two sets of eyes on the two players on the block and zero on the other six?

My main varsity crew follows your mechanic EXCEPT when the ball is literally in the low post (the situation I described). In this case -- and only in this case -- the Lead takes the count.

If the ball is on the low block, chances are other players are going there too. I have also very seldom seen a single 5 second call on the low block either. Either the ball is going to the basket or they ball is going to be passed away. And if the ball is dribbled away from the post and there is still a count, you want to take the Lead away from watching the post (where other players are located) to continue a count? That is why I feel having the lead count is stupid.

That is fine, but the Lead needs to concentrate on the contact, not whether if they are closely guarded. Let the Trail or Center take care of that. This is not Women's college basketball or the NBA where a count only applies in a very small percentage of situations. I would never advocate such a mechanic and think that you are weakening the crew by having the lead take care of something that other officials on the crew can do. And if you think (not you personally, anyone in general) you cannot ever have more than two sets of eyes on the basketball player, then you are not aware of how the entire mechanic works. Just my opinion of course.

Peace

The Lead never counts closely guarded.

I am not a fan of the Lead having a closely-guarded count. In fact, I have attended several camps at which the instruction has been for the Lead to abstain from this count. The reason is exactly as Rut has stated--the Lead's main responsibility is to watch for contact with the post players. However, I agree with your thought that the Lead should have this count when the ball is in the control of a post player.

It appears that the NFHS also agrees with this opinion.

From page 5 of the 2007-09 NFHS Officials Manual under the previous heading "2007-09 Mechanics Points of Emphasis":

0.1.5 Lead Count (Crew of Three): When the ball drops below the free-throw line extended on the Lead's side of the court, the Lead's main responsibility is to watch the post players on the low block. When the ball is moved into the low block and a new closely-guarded count should begin, the Lead signals the count. Too often, the Trail official begins a new count when the Lead official is still responsible. Change hands when necessary if the ball is dribbled and then picked up. If the ball is passed back outside the three-point arc, the Trail will then assume responsibility for any new count that begins.

Generally, in the case of the post player dribbling away from the basket, you typically will NOT have a closely guarded count. Therefore, the lead would have been focused on this match-up as the post player held the ball. If the post player is attacking the basket via the dribble, too much going on for the lead official OR the opposing coach to be worried about a count. On the other hand, if the player is dribbling away from the basket -- toward the trail's primary -- the trail is going to pick up that count.

This situation appears to be another of the many mechanics in the manual that are slightly (by our crew) to significantly (by many others) ignored. As I stated, even one of our local associations does not implement this consistently. I agree with Nevadaref that the camps typically suggest the mechanic that JRut suggests, here.

Good feedback.

My opinion: If you're "on the ball" you should have "on ball responsibilities" -- and that includes closely guarded counts.

I agree that it's more common for the count to happen when T or C is on-ball. And it's probably even more rare than a three-second call for L to have a five-second call. That doesn't mean the L shouldn't be counting.

Nevada is quoting the NF book, which we do not use around here and things like this are the reason our state does not use the NF book anymore. That is a NCAA women's and NBA way of thinking. Those rules are different and would be more appropriate to have the lead count. But in our case, the answer is not that simply and that is why leave that to the Trail and Center.

Peace

Lead doesn't signal CGC
 

I know and understand the NFHS guidelines, BUT . . . Every camp, every clinician, and every evaluator I have had in the past 10 years has emphatically stated that the lead does not signal a closely guarded count in 3-person mechanics.

It wasn't a camp that strictly adhered to NFHS and NCAA mechanics, then. Which is typical, in my experience.

You would be correct, but when in Rome . . .

You and I are on the same page.

In NFHS mechanics (from what I remember), the L has "on ball" responsibilities inside the 3-point arc across to the midpoint of the lane. The L should turn his/her body away from the post (square up) to let the partners know they have on ball coverage and start any counts in there.

That said, if my partners as the lead do not start counts, I will (as the T).

If you want to be technical, if you attend a Men's NCAA camp, if you count from the lead position, you will stand out like a sore thumb. It is Women’s officials that seem to want to bring that craziness to other levels. :)

Peace

Here, too.
CCA officials are teaching the camps and their CCA mechanics.
It's easy to understand why so many Fed officials are taking CCA mechanics onto the high school floor. :(

CCA Women's officials. CCA Men's Mechanics are almost identical to NF Mechanics and procedures.

Peace

Yer right, Rut.
...Almost identical.
And that seems to be close enough for the college refs.
I'm thinking they are not bringing their Fed mechanics to high school.:)

Not true. NFHS mechanics are more closely aligned with CCA Women's than Men's. Look at the floor coverage diagrams. The "lead counting" is another place where the NFHS mechanics align more closely to Women's mechanics.

Also, we go tableside after a foul for NFHS games. Same as the Women's officials.

The key Women's only coverage is the corner and 3-point responsibility of the lead. NFHS aligns with the men on this.

...Other different stuff that I distantly remember
Long switches
Rotations keys
One finger up
Relaying chops
Holding and calling subs
Last shot responsibility

[I haven't seen a college game in so long, I may have kicked some of these.]

Almost every signal and foul reporting is the same at the NCAA Men's level and NF level. The coverage area is the same except the NF took away the Dual coverage area (but lead always had the same responsibility). Last second shot coverage is the same. No two hand reporting or walking and talking. No 3 point shot attempt from the Lead (the same as Men's CCA).

That was a change just a year ago. Men's went back to the old way which I do not completely disagree with.

I could go into more and more example. The point that I was trying to make, when I go to NCAA Men's camps, I do not have to spend time switching back and forth with regular every day mechanics that I would use at the NF level. I when I work with Women's officials, they are almost always trying to bring down their mechanics like locking down for the last second shot and only having the Lead rotate but go back if the ball goes to the other end. Actually it is easier to work with Men's college officials because they are not trying to change the entire philosophy of the mechanics because they work that level.

Peace

I see what you mean. If you work men's mechanics, you will do some things differently and nobody will notice, really. Which is what I said eariler when we were talking about counting.

You hit onto a sore point with me, actually. All the officials in this area want to "lock down" at some point in HS games. Why? Last second shot DOES NOT PASS on a rotation in NCAAM and NFHS games. What's the point?

You rotate over if you need to. If I'm the center, I can step out and still handle the last second shot. I can also chew gum and officiate at the same time.

This is something I always seem to talk about in my pre-game when I am the Referee. The play is more important than the last second shot. If there is a foul that is missed because we want to leave one officials with 8 players, that is going to be much worse than if the shot got off. I do not know about you, but I do not get too many plays near the end of the quarter where the last second shot is the deciding factor in any game. I would rather have two officials watching the entire play, then have one official guess or an official out of position guess on something that could have been called.

You would think others cannot do those two things without falling over themeselves. ;)

Peace

My last association wanted to lock down, also. I've not heard a single official mention here, nor have I brought it up.

The Trail has to judge contact AND have a closely guarded count when the ball is in his/her primary. I don't understand why the Lead can't do the same thing. Why don't you advocate the Center official counting the closely guarded count when the ball is in Trail's Primary?

Agreed.

Signal mechanics, perhaps, but not floor mechanics. None of the three, in my view, are really close to being "identical."

I agree.

Most counts are start above the 3 point line and might continue. And BTW, the mechanic has the Center count if the count continues in there area. I just think you take the Lead from their primary responsibility and that is post play. And that is why we do not advocate that silliness.

Peace

The Lead's area in CCA Men's and NCAA is exactly the same. The only difference is NF took away the dual area for the Trail. Everything else is pretty much the same.

Peace

In Georgia, we use womans ncaa mechanics for this
 

When the ball goes below the free-throw line extended, even beyond the three point line, the lead is on ball. In that case the trail needs to pick up action in the lane. I understand your argument JRut. I realize that there is action in the lane that is going to be hard for the trail to see. However, there are plays that are just as hard for the trail to officiate when the ball is below the free-throw line extended. Having the lead open up on the play and officiate is not such a bad idea, as long as the trail picks up the leads lane responsibilities. Its also not a bad idea in this case if the C reaches a little to pick up what the trail can't see.