Question and Advice

[eg-italy]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

On double whistles, let’s both hold our preliminary signal and not give a block or player control signal. Make eye contact with each other. Give the call to whoever has the primary coverage, most often the lead official, unless you definitely have something different that happened first, in which case we’ll talk about it.

Not exactly what happened last wednesday, when I was tutoring a group of 15 to 19 year old officials at a big tournament. We do two man officiating.

First quarter of the semifinal, the best player of the black team beats his opponent and there's a crash in the center of the restricted area with the secondary defender. The lead official goes up with his fist; the trail whistles, goes up with his fist and without looking at his partner punches. With terror I look at the lead, who also punches. Sigh of relief.

I swear I didn't smack the trail official upside the head with a frying pan, as I was tempted to do.

Ciao