When I work with a rookie, I just want the rookie to do his/her job and not try to "prove" that s/he belongs on the court. Call your area and be a good partner.

I remember my first year, as it was a great one. I learned a lot from the individuals I worked with and were great to help me to get where I am at today.

Everyone here has offered some great advice on how to work with a veteran. My advice would be come ready to officiate and learn but also have fun with it. This can be a fun profession if you work with the right people and have fun with it. Always be willing to learn and also never be afraid to ask questions to fellow officials you might get a different response per things, but you take some and you leave some of the advice.

Have a great season!

JB

A question to the veterans from this intermediate:

You're the lead in a two man crew, working with a rookie. The rook at trail doesn't call a clear backcourt violation. Do you make that call?

No.

a. I wouldn't see it.
b. Not my call.
c. What kind of example am I setting if I get that? Somebody will always bail you out? Always watch the ball? I can do this game by myself?

No, we talk about it later to make sure he's got the rule, and if he gets chewed on a little, that will reinforce the lesson.

Heckeeeeeeno!!!!!

Sometimes we have to learn rules by our mistakes. And like said before, not sure I would have seen it.

Peace

Ask for advice. Then stay for the 2nd game and watch it put into practice. Ask the varsity crew if you can sit in on halftime. If asked if you are seeing anything, do not critique, it is usually a rhetorical question. If you want to learn, most veterans are willing to help. But, you must ask. And if you have those guys following you later in the season, you would do well to have put into practice any good advice you have been given. I have been on both sides. I only offer advice if asked and usually only one thing per game. That advice usually is advice I had received at one point in time.

How about this one I had last year. Working with a rookie in the end of a close game, and the rookie at trail clearly doesn't understand 10 second backcourt and 5 second closely guarded count. The defense is pressing on every possession and the coach has asked for a count. Do you try to cover for the rookie?

Here's what I did. I had already talked to my partner, so I forced a switch to make sure I had the ten second count in back court. There was not much else I could do, and luckily the coach knew I had a rookie and was understanding. It did mean that I had the same end of the floor for the last several minutes of the game.

That seems like a good approach to a tough situation.

The only thing I've ever done close to this was last year. I'm lead on an FC endline throw-in. A1 launches ball into backcourt, where A2 chases it down and retrieves it below the FT line extended along the BC sideline. T blows her whistle for a BC violation.

I hit my whistle to do a quick conference, asked her what she had. She told me no one from the defense had hit it, and I told her the rule (quickly), and she agreed to reverse the call. No one said a word.

Only if the ball was thrown from my primary, went clearly out of reach of everyone else, and was clearly recovered in the backcourt by team A.

In fact, I'd even blow that one with any partner.

With the ball coming from my primary, the trail probably has no idea if the throw was tipped or not since they wouldn't be looking there. There are some calls that take more information than your parnter might have.

(Yes, this happened to me once...and I didn't call it and it made us both look bad).

Just because the Instructional Chair is super anal and literal, in Southern Nevada we have replaced hustle with "get in position to see the play." Many officials will hustle to look like they are doing something and/or will hustle themselves right out of position to see plays.

Good responses thus far.

What if your rookie trail and you witnessed the following: A-1 loses control in the frontcourt. B-2 taps the ball into the air over the backcourt. A-1 runs to the backcourt and touches the ball before it hits the floor. Your partner offers no whistle, thinking no violation took place.

Now, mbyron and JRut offer solid reasons why they'd leave such things alone, and I doubt this scenario would change their minds. Cam also offers a good reason to blow the whistle.

Anyone else? Does this new scenario change things?

No violation did take place.

Camron stated he's only calling this if the ball came from his primary. The odds of your scenario happening in the lead's primary are slim to none.

Secondly (I know, there was not "first of all"), your scenario is not a violation by rule; in spite of the interp.

Correct, and thankfully so.

I just came from our IAABO board's fall conference, and one of the things mentioned was a change in interpretation on this very play. Long story short, it's not a violation. A few of us at the meeting expressed pleasure about the change, as last year's didn't make sense to us.

Is this "change" published anywhere? Or does it just apply to your specific area?