Refs and coach/AD

[The_Rookie]

As a newbie, my instructors are hammering home to establish excellent mechanics including use of proper signals. While other officials notice this, I would think that coaches and ADs are more focused on getting the calls right then on signals.

Vets, is this true?

[APG]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

As a newbie, my instructors are hammering home to establish excellent mechanics including use of proper signals. While other officials notice this, I would think that coaches and ADs are more focused on getting the calls right then on signals.

Vets, is this true?

Yes, coaches/ADs are more concerned about getting the calls correct, but don't underestimate the importance of good mechanics and proper signals. Part of our job as officials is being a salesmen. If you're in the proper spot to call plays and look confident with good, crisp signals, that goes a long way towards a coach believing your call and off your back.

I'd say the easiest thing for young officials to perfect is mechanics (specifically good signals). That just comes from time in front of the mirror practicing. That can be worked on from day one. Play calling is something that comes with time, so invariably, you'll have struggles with that.

[Adam]

I agree with APG. The better your mechanics and positioning, the more likely you are to get the benefit of the doubt on close calls.

Show up in gray tennis shoes, white socks, and almost black dress slacks (brown belt) sometime and see how many calls get questioned as opposed to when you're in the proper uniform.

[Eastshire]

The better your mechanics, the more likely you are to get the call right in the first place. If you could call the game from anywhere, we wouldn't be on the court in the first place.

The only thing a coach likes less than a bad call is not knowing what you called in the first place. Communication, including signals, is an important part of the job.

What's more, these are both areas that focus and effort bring quick results. You can't rush experience, but mechanics and signaling can be practiced anywhere. This makes it a good investment of time for the new official.

[Multiple Sports]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Yes, coaches/ADs are more concerned about getting the calls correct, but don't underestimate the importance of good mechanics and proper signals. Part of our job as officials is being a salesmen. If you're in the proper spot to call plays and look confident with good, crisp signals, that goes a long way towards a coach believing your call and off your back.

I'd say the easiest thing for young officials to perfect is mechanics (specifically good signals). That just comes from time in front of the mirror practicing. That can be worked on from day one. Play calling is something that comes with time, so invariably, you'll have struggles with that.

Hey Rook......

Do everything you can to "look the part"!!!!

Then during the summer you can become a "play caller" and a "game manager".


But at this part of your career the confidence that you exude through proper mechanics will call a long way with players coaches and your partners !!!!!!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

As a newbie, my instructors are hammering home to establish excellent mechanics including use of proper signals. While other officials notice this, I would think that coaches and ADs are more focused on getting the calls right then on signals.

Vets, is this true?

Yes. And if I'm evaluating, I'll take the guy that gets the call right over the guy that looked great but screwed up the call.

But that's just me.....

The optimum is both, of course. Get the call right while using the correct mechanics.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Yes. And if I'm evaluating, I'll take the guy that gets the call right over the guy that looked great but screwed up the call.

But that's just me.....

The optimum is both, of course. Get the call right while using the correct mechanics.

And, there are enough "good" officials to take the ones that put in the effort to look and act professional.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

And, there are enough "good" officials to take the ones that put in the effort to look and act professional.

Yup, the ones that make the effort should be ranked higher than the ones who might also be equal in call-making ability but don't have the "whole package".

[Texas Aggie]

Coaches/ADs are not specifically concerned at all about mechanics, but if you look sharp, you and your calls will be taken more seriously -- everything else being equal.

Not really anything to do with mechanics, but with perspective: My first few years, I had a LOT of trouble with women coaches -- jr. high to college. Not all of them, but most, for some reason. In the mid-90s, I was out for a couple of years for injury and slowly got back into things over the next several years. Instead of being a late college student or recent college grad, I was now as old or in some cases older than the coaches and handling women coaches is one of my strengths. I can not recall a T I've given a woman head coach in the last 5 or 6 years. Same official, different outcome.

[biggravy]

Only thing I would add is to remember they're not always going to agree with your calls anyway. That's why they are called howler monkeys. I would at least prefer my mechanics have me in the right spot, and my signals are crisp so at least maybe there is a little doubt in their mind that maybe they ARE crazy and I do know what I am doing

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Yup, the ones that make the effort should be ranked higher than the ones who might also be equal in call-making ability but don't have the "whole package".

If you could break it down, JR, what are the criteria of the "whole package?"

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bainsey

"whole package?"

No image please.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by The_Rookie

As a newbie, my instructors are hammering home to establish excellent mechanics including use of proper signals. While other officials notice this, I would think that coaches and ADs are more focused on getting the calls right then on signals.

Vets, is this true?

Is there any reason you think the 2 concepts are mutually exclusive?

But it is a lot easier and controllable to perfect your mechanics than it is your play-calling. One thing that holds rookies back in their first year is that they spend so much time thinking about their mechanics that they lose focus on play-calling. They screw up basic mechanics and start getting nervous and flustered and forget all about game.

Work on your mechanics off the court so that you are confident with them when you get on the court and it will free your mind up to start looking at the plays correctly. And if your mechanics are decent from the get-go then your observers/evaluators/mentors can concentrate more on your play-calling abilities instead of having to nit-pick you with mechanical stuff.

[Upward ref]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Is there any reason you think the 2 concepts are mutually exclusive?

But it is a lot easier and controllable to perfect your mechanics than it is your play-calling. One thing that holds rookies back in their first year is that they spend so much time thinking about their mechanics that they lose focus on play-calling. They screw up basic mechanics and start getting nervous and flustered and forget all about game.

Work on your mechanics off the court so that you are confident with them when you get on the court and it will free your mind up to start looking at the plays correctly. And if your mechanics are decent from the get-go then your observers/evaluators/mentors can concentrate more on your play-calling abilities instead of having to nit-pick you with mechanical stuff.

Most of the experienced guys/gals say to concentrate on one thing each game to improve on. I need a lot of work in all areas so I'm really not trying to follow that advice (yet) . seems like there's a million things to get down pat ,and thats just 2 man mechanics ! My partner for my first 3 games kept saying to just get comfortable with myself and have confidence. That and asking if I was going to get in the game any time soon !

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Upward ref

Most of the experienced guys/gals say to concentrate on one thing each game to improve on. I need a lot of work in all areas so I'm really not trying to follow that advice (yet) . seems like there's a million things to get down pat

If you try to do the "million things", you'll end up doing none of them.

Pick at most 2 or 3 things to work on. When you get one of them down, pick something else.