A night of several firsts

[bainsey]

Two firsts for me in a MS doubleheader yesterday:

*Girls' game: A-1 is fouled and scores. I administer the lone free throw ("ONE!"), which is missed, and drops to the floor outside the left block (opposite side). All the girls remain stationary while looking at me. I look back at them with a slight smile. A few seconds pass, until it dawns on B-2 (first space on the left side) that the ball is live, so she takes a few steps to pick it up. Finally, I hear from a bench, "it was only one shot!" Play resumes.

*Boys' game: A-1 is fouled and scores. I administer the lone free throw. A-2 and B-2, in first and second spaces on the right (table side) are sticking their arms out, and nudging each other a bit. It escalates a bit, and just after the release, one yells "QUIT IT!" as it becomes foul-worthy. Tweet, basket is good, double foul. My partner seeks clarity that the fouls were after the release. They were, so I report both fouls, basket counts, B can run the end line.

After the game, my partner says, "I should've seen that. One of those guys is supposed to me mine." True, but I don't believe it's that cut and dry. Like the PCA, if you see something in your partner's area, it shouldn't go ignored.

You'll never know what you'll see at this level.