Returning the ball to the scorer's table
 

Why do some officials insist on doing this after a heated contest where T's have been given out? This has happened to me on several occasions over the past couple of years. I give out a T to a coach towards the end of the game, and he is still hot and bothered by it when the buzzer sounds. I am wanting to get off the floor and into the locker room before he can confront me about it, but my partner is lollygagging, trying to track down the ball and return it to the scorer's table and thank the nice ladies for what a great job they've done.

I don't want to abandon my partner out there, seeing as though the coach could just as easily confront him on his way to the locker room, and then he's all alone, but I absolutely hate having to stand around waiting for my partner to gather up the stinking ball and open myself up for a needless post-game confrontation.

Thoughts?

I agree, and it's not just heated contests. There is no reason to retrieve the ball. And if you want to thank the nice folks at the table, do it during the last couple of minutes during a timeout or something. I'll be waiting near whatever door we're using by the time my partner even grabs the ball; and I'm looking straight at him and not the players.

That's not something I consider my duty. We don't do it. If a player gets the ball to me, I will roll it towards the home team bench on my way off the court. I don't chase after balls during the game and I certainly don't do it when time has expired.

If you hate it...
 

... prevent it. You know, in your pre-game, or better, at half time, or when you came together to discuss late-game fouls/time outs etc.

Pre-Game
 

I pre-game this, and if it is a heated contest, also do a reminder during halftime and/or near the end of the game.

Sounds simple because it is simple! If you haven't talked about it, your partner won't know what you want to do! Some states (MA?) require officials to stay and observe the post-game handshake. Others don't. Just as important as who will call the last shot, is how you will leave the floor.

Exactly! I NEVER go get the ball and take it to the table. If it is near me when the final horn goes I'll roll it towards the home team huddle but I will NOT take it to the the table. Some guys just carry it off the court with them and hand it to game management as they're escorting us to the lockerroom.

As I leave the court, if I go past the table, I'll usually just say "Nice job", then point at one of them at random and say, "Not you". :D

I'm not even rolling the ball....somebody steps on it and turns an ankle then what do you have to contend with?

One less player next time you have that team?

Along similar lines, had a BV game a couple weeks ago where there were some less than friendly things being lobbed at us from the V section, where we would literally have to walk through (within 3 feet of fans) to get to locker room. With about a minute to play we had a TO and I called partners together and said why don't we go out that other exit over there, which would also get us to the locker room (unfortunately no members of security gave us other directions). His response was basically that we have nothing to be ashamed of so we are walking right through them. Now I have a lot of respect for this guy and he is a solid official, but my thought is why invite a problem even if you have done nothing wrong? I don't consider that being ashamed or afraid, just seemed like the smart thing to do!

Knowing the paranoia around here it will be "he did it on purpose, he has it out for that kid". :cool:

I'm with your partner. I'll let security deal with any knuckleheads.

My Apologies To Our Colleagues In the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts ...
 

Agree. If you're going to retrieve the ball, then you might as well hang around and watch the post game handshakes as well.

Quite simply, they probably don't know any better.

I have yet to be blamed because some fan stole the game ball after the game. Straight to the locker room for me.

When in Rome......
 

Inconsistantly consistant.....that's my Association when it comes to certain practices such as this - I go with the flow.

I've had the R - "After the game we are going to stand and watch the handshakes and then walk to the table with the ball and thank the table. After all, we didn't run onto the court, why should we run off?"

I've also had the R - "After the game I will look to the table to see if everything is ok and we're outa here."

It also goes for taking the court:

I've had the R - "At 12 minutes go to the table, at 4 minutes get captains, at 1 minute get coaches." I've had 10 minutes, 3 minutes and 1 minute....

I had an R the other night say - "We're taking Captains as soon as we hit the floor. 12 minutes it's the table, and after player introduction its coaches."

Ho hum, to each their own......

Bingo, include this on the pet peeve thread for me. Game over........outta there.

1. I would tell this R to enjoy himself, and that I'll meet him in the locker room. But I can say with certainty no R around here worth impressing would say this. We actually do jog onto the court, but that's beside the point.

2. This differs quite a bit here as well.

Why Not?
 

I really don't see why all the fuss about this mechanic. The R is by rule suppose to confer with the scorer at halftime to determine the possession arrow is pointed in the proper direction and to approve the score at each half. Why not take the ball over to the table at the same time? Also, often we wear our jackets out to start the game and leave them at the table. We then pick them up at half time.

Now, I realize there is nothing in the book that says we have to be at the table to confer with the scorer. We could make arrangements before the tipoff to have the scorer give us a thumbs up if everything is correct. Some of our officials do this for the score at the end of the game. However, this is different in that the game is over and we have no more responsibilities unless there is a problem with the score.

We can also have a pre-arrange signaled to have them flip the arrow. Also, we could leave our jackets at the table. However, we are just going to have go pick them up after the game, which again puts you in a possible confrontation with the coach.

Here's how we handle it in my area. We wait at the center of the court until all players and coaches have left, then approach the table. If the coach wants to stay and be confrontational, we have a tool to use to take care of this situation. It's called a T.

While I certainly understand your point, as a fourth yr official who just started working some V games this yr, it would not be in my best interest to utilize this approach. :o

While your points are all good, the discussion is about the END of the game, not half-time.

Oh, never mind!
 

My bad!

Now I understand! Yeah, leave the ball alone at the end of the game!

Under normal circumstances, I'd be with you. This is my second year in this association, a I'm really in no position to do something like that. However, I am not heading to the table. I'd be willing to stand by the door while he does what he feels he needs to do. But if he's going to stick around for the handshake, he's on his own. He's just asking to be forced to call a T, or open himself up to a free verbal shot from a coach.

I'm not sprinting off the court like the cops are chasing me, but I'm not wasting any time either. I jogged onto the court, and I'll jog off thank you.

In all honesty, I think my first response would be, "You're going to do what?" I would think he was joking.

BillyMac,

Thank you for your apologies to all of us in MA. I guess if there is a good thing about having to stay for the handshake it's that we don't have to worry about whether to return the ball to the table or not. I mean might as well since we have to hang around for the dog and pony show.

At the end of the game......
 

I am outty 5000 Geeeeeeee!!!!!

Peace

Hmmmm...that might look good.

We don't do that around these parts...except now that I think of it, some of the guys may have done that at State.

Do a lot of you jog onto the court for pre-game warm-ups?

We just kind of saunter out there looking cool...:p

It's standard practice here.

Have Large Display
 

When I'm R, I have whomever is closest to the ball scoop it up, take it to the locker room, then I take it home with me. I have a nice collection of hundreds of new basketballs in my rec room, each a memory of the game from which I heisted it. Gonna have to build another rec room pretty soon, since the walls are just about filled up. ;)
Not really.
But frankly, I think BillyMac and Mark Padgett have been doing this all along. At their ages, they've probably got about a thousand or two each!

The Ghost Of Emily Latella ...
 

Watch My Reverse Layup ...
 

... and then I get into the layup line.

I only have two balls. :cool:

Good One ...
 

My nomination for Post O' The Week.

Wait a minute? There's a Freddy who's always selling basketballs on Ebay. Could it be?

Classic
 

When I'm R, I have whomever is closest to the ball scoop it up, take it to the locker room, then I take it home with me. I have a nice collection of hundreds of new basketballs in my rec room, each a memory of the game from which I heisted it. Gonna have to build another rec room pretty soon, since the walls are just about filled up.
Not really.

This is quite funny. Best laugh I have had in weeks.

That is funny....

OT but along the same lines MLB plate umpires are known to hold up 4 when the last out appears imminent. The 4 signaling to the bat boys that he needs 4 new baseballs. Why? They take them with them at the end of the game and use them to hand out at the restaurant of choice after the game, use for autographs, take home for their trophy case, etc etc etc