Poaching my signal?
 

Worked with probably my favorite partner this weekend -- knowledgeable, sharp, in it for the kids. Just a good guy who should be getting more top games, in my opinion. Probably no coincidence assignors pair him with me so they have their behinds covered with at least half a crew that knows which end is up.

Anyway ... just wanted to see what the board thought of a minor sequence we had in a free-throw scenario. I'm L and bounce the ball to the FT shooter. After he has the ball and as I'm backing out of the lane, one of his opponents above the top of the key decides to occupy the top lane spot opposite me -- in what will be/is my coverage area (basically right in front of my partner).

Partner is all over it and gets the arm bar out while I'm still backing off the court. The FT shooter converted so there was nothing to enforce. But my question is: Was he appropriate in taking that call? I saw it and would have signaled once I was behind the endline. And should I have mimicked his arm bar once I was in position anyway?

Don't know if it's really worth a hill of beans since he had the situation covered. But don't know if it might ever come up again -- with a partner at T who would purposely NOT signal in this situation on the basis that it's my call to make.

Get it right. The player came from his field of vision. The violator was in his primary coverage area and proceeded to go into yours. I don't see this as an issue.

If I'm reading the OP correctly
 

The call was your partners. The violation occurred when the opponent broke the plane of the 3-point line. I believe your partner was correct in signalling the violation at that time.

Although, I wouldn't think anything of it either way.

+1. The violation began in his PCA and he followed through with it. I think he made the right call.

Agreed. We don't care whether the center or the lead calls a lane violation. We just want to get it.

Our mechanics have us dividing the players between the two covering officials, not to keep the "wrong" official from calling the violation but to ensure that at least one official is watching each player. If the violation is called, we've done what needed doing.