Lucked into a Varsity Boys' Game
 

I'm in my fourth year, and got my first varsity girls' game this year, in a tip-off tournament. The rest of my schedule is JV-B. We had a snowstorm Tuesday night, and it was forecasted in advance so many schools cancelled JV games and moved up varsity games to 6:30 (normally 8:00). That's what happened to my JV game, which was scheduled for after the JH JV and JH C (aka 7th grade) games I had at 4 & 5. One of the varsity guys was there as my partner, and the other was ~20 miles away for afternoon games.

Since the guy traveling was cutting it close, I stuck around for the varsity game. I went out at the 15-minute mark and we prepared in case he didn't show. The AD came over and suggested that since I was staying anyway, we could just do three-man when the other varsity guy showed up. My partner was good with that. The other guy arrived at about the four-minute mark and he liked the idea too, so we did three-man.

I've done some three-man in scrimmages so I wasn't too uncomfortable with that. One team was playing a zone, so the opponents were changing sides with the ball quite a bit, and it took me a bit to figure out when to crossover as the lead. I didn't know where to stand on the timeouts but my partners helped me with that. I had a couple double whistles--one for OOB on "my" sideline when I was the lead, and another for a player-control foul in the lane, but the drive was from the C's side and the contact was in the middle so he took it. Fortunately I held my signals in both cases and deferred.

I got good feedback from my partners throughout the game and felt like I had a good one. It was close for two quarters, but the visitors scored 28 in the third and ended up winning by 25 or so. Late in the third, I called a player-control foul against the visitors. The coach didn't like the call at all, but I'm pretty sure I got it. The defender was moving laterally and then had to hop in front of the ball-handler, but the contact came after the defender had re-established and before the ball-handler left the ground to shoot. Coming out of the break between quarters I took a few seconds to ask the coach what he saw on that play and we had a good quick back-and-forth about what we each saw. The next time down the court he told me that he appreciated me asking him, which was nice. I've been working on interacting with the coaches a bit more when appropriate and that felt like a good one.

When the game ended I was on a high that I'm still coming off of!

Congratulations! Neat how that worked out for you. You'll grow to love three man, I hate 2 man except in little kid games. I have 6 games this weekend and four are 2man, luckily the varsity are 3man.

Congrats. And BTW coaches never like a charge called against their player :)

As lead in 3-man, you don't have any sidelines. All you have is the endline.

He knows that; he's saying that he mistakenly blew the whistle becuase he reacted as if it were his sideline.

Funny, I had a lead do that to me last week. I was the trail and the ball hit the court and was heading out on the sideline. Lots of room, so it took time for the ball to come down and actually strike something out of bounds. I waited and waited and.....the lead blew his whistle and signaled as if I wasn't paying attention. :rolleyes:

I saw a JV official ahead of me whistle OOB on the endline from T. :rolleyes:

When asked about it afterward, he insisted it was a safety issue. This guy is the biggest Yabut you've ever seen.

Congrats! Still looking for my first Boys V. I'm only 2nd year so I still need some seasoning (Morton's is good.)

I'd click the "Like" button if there was one. :)

It Pays To Stick Around ...
 

My first varsity game was one where one of the varsity offcials didn't show up for a game after my junior varsity game.

Today, this would very seldom happen. Here in my little corner of Connecticut, many of our subvarsity officials walk off the court, put on their coat, and are out the door, without even taking a shower. Back in the olden days, subvarsity officials would stay and watch at least half of the varsity game. That's the best way to learn how to become a good offcial.

Of course, back then we walked to all of our games. Uphill. Both ways. In the snow.

I always stay, at least through halftime, and I always go in with the varsity officials at halftime to learn whatever I can. I think it also helps to be seen doing that as well. But mostly I just enjoy watching basketball so why would I leave?

I might be back down from my high tonight. One youth travel league game (that will be okay) then two rec games starting at 8 PM about 45 minutes from home. These are HS age kids from a huge school district who want to "play" bball but couldn't dream of making the team, with a few Pat Riley wannabe dads as "coaches".

The JV official before you whistled an OOB call in your game....talk about AT&T calls! :p

This is the best thing you can do to improve. And it WILL be noticed.

My first varsity game occurred in about 1992 in my 4th or 5th year of officiating. Back then, it was normal to put 4-7 years in before you moved up. It was in PA, too.

I was crestfallen when I found out that there were 3 people accidentally assigned to the game and the senior guy, knowing I was assigned to my first game, decided on the fly to work 3-person. It was the old 3-person (we didn't rotate live ball and we had the C always opposite the table), but it was my first one.

I haven't had a JV official talk basketball with me in at least 5 years. Most dress at home, put their jackets on, and leave as soon as their games are over.

That is the way it is here, too. But, at meetings, guess who complains the loudest about not moving up?