Xavier/Gonzaga women's officials struggling....
 

Just started watching this elite 16 matchup and you know it's bad when the announcers are trying to cover for the officials. Here's the situation: Gonzaga scores an and 1 and heads to the line for the free throw. Lead official is standing on the free throw lane line talking with one of the Xavier players and sure enough, Gonzaga misses the FT. Lead official rebounds the ball (LMAO).:eek:

C and T blow their whistles and decide to go with the arrow:o Announcers tried to cover by saying there was a double violation so the officials went to the arrow. Uh, nope, no violation whistle at all. Just a really embarrassing situation that all of us hope won't happen to us, especially during a nationally televised tournament.

Not Supposed To Box Out The Official ...
 

One summer I attended a camp where a point of emphasis was to catch the ball before it hit the ground on the first of two free throws. This was drilled into our heads all week long. This was also a camp where the rules were modified such that there were no one and ones. Jump forward a few months and I worked several preseason scrimmages that played the same modified rules. I was great. That ball never touched the ground on both makes and misses.

First real game of the season, first one and one of the season, my mind isn't quite in in-season form, and I rush into the lane to grab that missed free throw, to suddenly find myself surrounded by several players who a few weeks before were playing linebacker, or defensive end, on their football teams. Needless to say I didn't get the rebound, and luckily I didn't get hurt, or get in the way. Heck, I don't even think that the players knew I was there.

Poe?
 

Someone also told me this once. I do it on occasion. Anyone also subscribe to this school of thought? Sometimes, always, never? Stupid? Looks good/bad? Don't care?

Thoughts?

I hustle in so that if things are perfect, it lands in my hands. I make no extra effort to catch it, though. If it bounces away, it bounces away.

Ditto, same with ball going out of bounds with no players around.

It just shows you that anything can happen at any time.

I agree. I was at an IAABO camp two years ago and our instructors told us that you want to hustle in and catch the ball before it bounces or only allow it to bounce one time before grabbing it. I usually live by the one-bounce philosophy but do not chase after it if it bounces away on a miss.

Interesting, I always figure the players' job is to get the rebounds. This is a detail I've never really paid attention to.

If I could rebound the ball I'd still be playing. I try to catch it, but if it rolls away I'm not killing myself to get at it.

This is my approach. I don't think I've ever been told by an evaluator or an assignor to do so, but, seems like it's implied by the way a lot of the more experienced officials go about it.

I bowl over any player that gets between me and the ball before it hits the floor.

IMO - this is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Just one more retarded detail to knock someone down on. Did they want you helping on the box out as well?

I think it goes to show we, as officials, are hustling. There are lots of ways to show we are hustling....this is on of them. No big deal.

Hustling in between FTs is also one more way to keep youth league games with stopped clock action moving along. Nobody I work with on a Tuesday night 840p start wants to put themselves in a position to ensure they are still on the floor of a regulation game at 10pm. Is it a big friggin deal to be on the floor at 10pm? Nah. But, I'd rather be en route to my hot shower and bed, thank you very much.

It's just one of those little things that can add up to making for a more efficient game.

At most, you save two or three seconds per free throw, so I don't really see this as much of a time saver. If you're shooting enough free throws that this adds up to more than 30 seconds per game, well let's just say your long games have nothing to do with dead-ball hustle.

That said, it does show a certain hustle and sense of urgency; one of those little things that may simply translate in an evaluation as, "good hustle" or "needs to hustle more." The evaluator may not even be able to pinpoint why, but it could affect the overall "feel" of your game.

I think it's one of those little things that sets the tone, though. A little piece of the greater efficient game management.

Some games get sloppy and a bit tiresome too. I've found that staying light on the feet is great way to help stay alert.

I run in and stand under the hoop after the shot is released. If it falls through, I catch it. If it rebounds off, I stand there and let a player field it.

I don't know how much time it saves, but my regular partner and I are frequently in the car showered and changed 80 minutes after we start a varsity game. We don't waste time during free throws, substitutions, etc. I think keeping a good pace sets the right tone for the game and shows that we're working hard to keep things going.