How should a newbie handle this?

[Jeremy Hohn]

I have had a simliar situation that occured in a heated district game last week. We had a "pass and crash" that occured in the first half, which by rule, is a team control foul and no free throws should be attempted. I came to my calling official and as he was reporting the foul I reminded him "team control, spot throw in" and we got it right with no lining up of free throws by mistake or clearing the lane.

Second half we have the same play, going against the other team. I tried to use the same approach to a Division 1 official and he INSISTED that we shoot because the player passed the ball. I reminded him that the rule changed, and we now have team control, but he REINSISTED and I backed down. Needless to say, the coaches after the game noticed and I wrote the apologetic email with the scanned page from the case book indicating the EXACT play and how it should be called.

It really was my fault for not putting my "R" accountable for a good pre-game and 'assuming' that because he was a 20 yr official, that he didn't need one. Heck I am a 17 yr, and still need some brushing up from the case or rule book on regular occassions. Never be "too good" or "uncoachable" regardless of what aspirations you have in officiating. I have seen many officials who thought they were "great" officials, attend 1 camp, get ripped because of how they were not working the 3 person correctly, and they never go back. Then they are the same ones that sit in meetings that are supposed to be "the cream of the association" but never crack a rule book open for 5 years and young officials continue to put them on a pedastal because they sit at the large table in front of the meeting room.