Teach the class for new officials

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by zebraman


Like anything else new, KISS is the best policy for beginning refs. Keep it simple stupid. And no, I'm not calling you stupid.

Z

If you go to an new job and they require you to training classes, they usually do not hold anything back. They tell you all the policies, practices and expectations. Some people will pick up on them, others will be slower. Some will be naturals at their job, probably from other experiences, some will not have a clue for some time.

Originally posted by zebraman

This thread isn't about rule 2.10. It's about what to teach new officials. I wouldn't imagine we'd worry about rule 2.10 for new officials either. And I've never seen a young ref yelling and screaming or quoting rules. I've seen some veteran refs that "just don't get it" do that on a rare occasion though.

My comments about rule 2-10 or only to illustrate that when a rule mess up happens or any rule is applied, you have to not only apply it, but know what to say and how to difuse a possible bombshell. Everytime I call things like BI or GT or sometimes even an backcourt violation, you have to explain them at some point. How you deal with that is very important to your success as an official.

Originally posted by zebraman


Actually, telling them "everything" up front overwhelms them and makes them feel helpless. Note the "deer in the headlights" look when you give a new referee a laundry list of things he needs to work on. Ask him to repeat back to you what you just told him and see if he remembers more than a couple.

:-)

This is a fundamental disagreement that you and I will always have. I think this is not true at all. I think when you spend all that time trying to treat them rules and language that they have never seen, would be more overwhelming. It is much easier to teach people concepts and skills that they might already use in every day life. A teacher or a cop might understand concepts of "conflict resolution." A manager of a major retail chain, might understand "how to manage a game" better than someone that is not in management. A lawyer might understand how to read a rulebook at first. Or better yet, maybe someone that has officiated other sports. Not all rookies to basketball are first time officials. As a matter of fact, some of the best officials I have ever met and associated with, are officials in other sports.

There are long time veterans that are overwelmed by what officiating is all about. Not all people are going to be good officials regardless of what you tell them to do or not. Rules are the foundation, but the foundation does not make the house. It might help keep it up when the wind and the fire comes, but it is not going to save the house.

If I was the only one that thought this way, the state in which I live would teach rules and not mechanics, positioning, conflict resolution, and professionalism just to name a few. And when I went to all Officiating Associations I belong to, all would spend the entire time talking and going over rules. Rules study should be more about what you do on your own time or what you learn from you individual games. I have always learned more about the rules after unuusual situations happen or seeing plays or talking to other officials about their plays. And for me Rule 2-10 was not something I could completely grasp until it happen to me 3 times this past year (once in the summer, twice in the regular season). Officiating is also about dealing with the scorers' table and dealing with game management. Why not share that with people that are new?

Peace