Primary Coverage area

[The_Rookie]

Discussion at my last Officials meeting on dealing with coaches when asked why a call was not made when its in my partner's primary.

Any advice on dealing with coaches on this question?

Why is it a sensitive issue when one official makes a call outside of his primary area?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Discussion at my last Officials meeting on dealing with coaches when asked why a call was not made when its in my partner's primary.

Any advice on dealing with coaches on this question?

"Coach, he had a great look at that play, you'll have to ask him what he saw."

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Why is it a sensitive issue when one official makes a call outside of his primary area?

1. Because you're usually wrong, no matter how sure you are.
2. Because you're undermining your partner who, for all you know, saw the play and had a reason for passing on any call.
3. Because if you're watching your partner's primary, who's watching yours?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Discussion at my last Officials meeting on dealing with coaches when asked why a call was not made when its in my partner's primary.

Any advice on dealing with coaches on this question?

"Coach, he had a great look at the play it in his primary. Ask him when you get a chance."

As a general rule, I do not explain calls I did not see or I am not sure why something was called or not called.

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Why is it a sensitive issue when one official makes a call outside of his primary area?

I think this depends on where and who you officiate with and where and who made a call. Almost anything in the lane is fair game for most officials as the angles change and each official can make a call. For the lead to call something at the division line is another story. And when you are wrong (which you often are wrong when calling completely out of your primary) it then changes the expectations of the other officials to call something they "think" took place in another area. Coaches often do not understand what we are looking at and if you call something that out of your area they will expect this all game.

Peace

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

Discussion at my last Officials meeting on dealing with coaches when asked why a call was not made when its in my partner's primary.

Any advice on dealing with coaches on this question?

"Coach, I was watching a matchup in my area. I trust him to do the same."

Why is it a sensitive issue when one official makes a call outside of his primary area?

1. Because you're usually wrong, no matter how sure you are.
2. Because you're undermining your partner who, for all you know, saw the play and had a reason for passing on any call.
3. Because if you're watching your partner's primary, who's watching yours?


If you're working the plate in a baseball game, are you going to make a call at second base?

If you working as a back judge in a football game, are you going to call roughing the passer.

Basketball is no different. Each official has his area of the court to officiate.

Trust your partner.

[just another ref]

Repeat after me:

That might have been a _______, but if he can't call it from there, no way can I call it from here.

And I shouldn't have been looking in there anyway.



Starting my 24th season, and I still say that to myself on occasion.

[BillyMac]

Sometimes, rarely, very rarely, very very rarely, you can't ignore the four hundred pound gorilla on the court. Maybe your partner was checking out the hot mom in the fourth row?

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Sometimes, rarely, very rarely, very very rarely, you can't ignore the four hundred pound gorilla on the court. Maybe your partner was checking out the hot mom in the fourth row?

Perhaps he was watching your area, since he knew you would be watching his?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Perhaps he was watching your area, since he knew you would be watching his?

Good point. But sometimes you can look through your area and see part of your partner's area in your field of vision. Plus we are supposed to be aware of where the ball is, and where our partner is, and in doing so, we may see that gorilla, or elephant, when our partner is getting some pixie dust out of his eye.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

you can't ignore the four hundred pound gorilla ..... Maybe your partner was checking out the hot mom in the fourth row?

I can't believe no-one has said this yet. What if the mom is a 400-pound gorilla?

Anyway, doesn't this topic really come down to communication? In the pre-game, I always tell my partner that I have no problem if he calls something in my PCA, as I could have been straightlined, and ultimately, it's about getting it right on the court and serving the players, not each other's ratings.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Anyway, doesn't this topic really come down to communication? In the pre-game, I always tell my partner that I have no problem if he calls something in my PCA, as I could have been straightlined, and ultimately, it's about getting it right on the court and serving the players, not each other's ratings.

While I generally espouse your philosophy, it needs to be tempered with some wisdom and experience. I have no problem with my partner coming and getting something, even in front of me, that needs to be gotten. But before I will go and get something in front of my partner, I ask myself some questions.

First, am I reasonably certain my partner did not see what I saw? Was he straightlined, screened, did what I saw happen on the back side of the play, did the play curl away from him, was he likely watching something else? If not, I'm going to leave it alone.

Second, am I reasonably certain I saw the whole play, or at least all of the portion of the play that was problematic? If not, I'm going to leave it alone.

Third, how reliable is the angle I had on the play. The wrong angle can make it appear that contact occurred when it really didn't.

One of the virtues of "Be late" is it gives you a little time to process those questions in your own mind.