Making calls out of your primary area

[IUgrad92]

Originally Posted by just another ref

During the course of a game, I usually say to myself more than once:

"That might have been a foul, but if he can't call it from there, no way can I call it from here."

The other quote I like:

"You call that from there and get it right, and you make the whole crew look bad, and if you're wrong, it is totally unforgivable."

I disagree with "You call that from there and get it 'right', and you make the whole crew look bad"..... I would say it makes the crew look 'human'.

We are all human beings first, and officials second. None of us are perfect and occasionally may miss something right in front of our eyes. That's why we have 2 partners on the court with us. I like the quote, "Get it right, no matter what."

To me the real factor to making a call outside one's primary is this....being able to determine if your partner is passing on the call or if your partner missed the call.

[bradfordwilkins]

The logic that has always made sense to me is that if you're watching your partner's primary, who is watching yours?

[TheOracle]

Originally Posted by bradfordwilkins

The logic that has always made sense to me is that if you're watching your partner's primary, who is watching yours?

I hate that logic. That is a great tool for a first-year official working AAU games who has to learn not to follow the ball all over the court at the expense of his primary, but will completely stunt development as an official. At many points during a basketball game, there is a play that transcends lines on a court or a map. You have to be responsible for your primary but understand what is going on with the basketball and the defense to identify and officiate the plays as a crew.

As a Lead, I am looking out of my primary when there is an onball screen or secondary defender attacking the ball. I must pick that up and the play associated with it to help my partner, who has the ball and the pirmary defender.

As a Center or Trail, I manage my primary and am responsible for it, but am always aware of scoring plays and secondary defenders coming from my area. If I have the best look on those, I take them. That's the definition of being a strong C and T.

Big difference between poaching and having the best view of a play.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by IUgrad92

To me the real factor to making a call outside one's primary is this....being able to determine if your partner is passing on the call or if your partner missed the call.

Agreed, and frequently it is not possible to make that determination.

[walter]

Somebody has to get the "train wrecks" no matter whose primary it is in. However, like others have states, trusting your partner(s) is critical. While you may peek outside your primary, going to get a call should be reserved for the "train wreck" calls. Peeking is to be aware of where the ball is, is a competitive match-up headed into my area, is there a curl play or line of intersection that I may have a better look at than my partner(s), etc. Calling in those areas is to be done only with certainty. The other "pond" post is a great example of how people view the issue. While I am not saying that as the lead I would have gone and called the foul the lead did in the MSU - KU game, I can understand given the game situation and how the action was unfolding, I can understand why the lead was looking up the line at the play.