I'm a Ball Watcher...

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Welpe

A couple of situations where I'm wondering if my fellow official noticed what I was doing and felt I was ball watching too much. I'd appreciate any feedback on these:

I've been trying to feel out where the ball is to know if I should have on-ball coverage or not by using occasional, quick glances towards the ball. Is this a bad idea?

Ball watching means you're following the ball and not your PCA.

It sounds as if you're almost trying to NOT see the ball. There's no reason for that. Knowing where the ball is and being able to see it is not ball watching. You should stay wide enough to officiate your area but still be able to see the ball in most situations and offer your partner(s), help if needed.

Also, I find while at lead and a player attempts a 3-point shot, I will mark the attempt, follow the shooter up and down and then take a quick glance to the basket to indicate if the shot is successful or not. I then look back to the shooter to see if there's any late contact. Should I be doing something different here?

You either have the shot or the shooter, not both. Trust your partner(s).