3-man officiating

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

I don't get the mindset that officials should ignore players and plays in favor of getting to some position on the floor. The whole point of being in a particular position on the floor is to ... referee players and plays?

Fear of getting beat down the floor leads to some really bad habits like bailing on rebounds and planting yourself on the baseline instead of helping upcourt.

I got beat twice last night, 2 person. Probably an average night. Last Tuesday I got beat once, 3-person. Big deal. I officiated from behind and by the time the ball was coming back on the court, I was on the baseline as the trail. Big deal.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Fear of getting beat down the floor leads to some really bad habits...

Exactly. When I learned three-person many moons ago I was taught the L has responsibility for the "first wave" of players going down court, that s/he should come down the floor with them and watch how they set up. It makes no sense to me to abandon the players and plays nearest to you so you can bust your tail to a spot on the floor so far ahead of everybody else that you've got no players or plays near you to referee when you get there.

[walter]

If you are just turning and running to get to the baseline, what happens if the ball gets turned over and heads back in the opposite direction? You end up sprinting to the baseline while all of the players and your partners are at the other end playing and officiating the game. You have to turn and look back over your shoulder and ref the first wave. All four camps stressed this over the summer and it what we teach our folks "around here".