2 Newbies Together
 

Was a last minute fill-in and resulted in having me, da Rookie working with a 2nd year official. With 2 very young refs on floor our goal was to get the calls right, even if it meant going fishing if either of us saw something that needed to be called.

The Vets doing the Varsity game following us made comments about not doing this and staying in your pond.

Question: Normally that is right, but with 2 young bucks on the floor, was our mind set to get it right and get thru the game correct???

I don't see why having two less-experienced officials should be a fishing license. You help each other by slowing down, talking about anything goofy, and making eye contact before getting the ball in play.

Each of you trying to officiate 10 players is a recipe for a long and unpleasant evening, imo.

The problem is that if you're watching all over the court, who's concentrating on your primary? Your partner?

At that stage of your careers, just concentrate on your own job. if you as a team can get the out-of-bounds calls right and most of the obvious violations and fouls, you'll get 'er done. Don't try to to do too much. And if you do see something illegal happen outside your primary, it had better be real obvious if you're going to call it.

I think that with two young officials, it's EVEN MORE important to stay in your pond and work your primary well. You don't know when or why to fish outside your pond yet.

I think it depends on what you mean by fishing. I personally think primary coverage areas are somewhat overrated, especially in two man, and should be drawn with more overlap.

Disagree. If that were true, we have waaaaaay more blarges.

I wouldn't know. Never actually had one, myself.

+1

There are secondary areas of coverage that require more help/overlap in two person. But giving officials a license to reach ends up with officials grabbing calls they have no business getting.

I called one in front of my partner last week. I saw a significant bump from behind with two players chasing a loose ball that was rolling right at my partner. I had a good look from across the court through the players (there was little activity except the two players going after the ball, so I let myself look there) and my partner had to try to avoid the players, see who touched the ball last, etc. and I felt it was worth reaching over and getting. I really closed ground and sold the crap out of it, too. He agreed when we talked about it afterwards. To me, it's the exception that proves the rule, but I also think that with my experience I have a pretty good feel on when to stretch and when not to stretch.

New officials? Sure, they may get one or two right they wouldn't have otherwise, but they'll also get 5 or 6 wrong where they should've been looking elsewhere or holding their whistle because they lack the wisdom to trust their partner has a better look.

Are mindset was since we are both young Refs doing a JV Girls and still VERY MUCH learning our craft, that if we saw anything anywhere that needed to be called..CALL IT and Together we would have a better product on the floor by getting as many calls right.

The root of this was we prorbably felt a bit over our heads because with a Vet working with a newbie..the Vet carries you thru the tuff spots in a game..that gives you a backstop in my mind :)

Comments on this logic?:)

It means you'll go through the game with 4 eyes firmly on the basketball.

Just don't think that way, work your primaries, and (believe it or not) things will be OK. Instead of thinking that a vet will step up and help, make sure you're strong in your primary and get your own stuff (actually that's good advice no matter who you're working with).

Read and think about the comments above -- you guys DO NOT know when it's appropriate and when it isn't to expand your primaries.

Thanks for the Advice...Great Lesson learned last night...regardless of who you are working with a 30 year vet or a 2nd year...DO NOT DIVATE from the basics and CALL YOUR AREA. Guess the staffing of 2 Newbies messed with our minds!

Yep, you guys overthought yourselves. Not a big deal, but a good lesson. The other things is, you're more likely to create "tight spots" by calling all over the floor.

Also, for me, one of the best ways to stop ball watching was to teach myself not to make the calls I thought I saw when I was. I was wrong half the time anyway.

Disclaimer: 2nd year guy. I would advise against it unless there is a flagrant or non-basketball play out of your area. It's better to learn to officiate your pca and let your partner do theirs. You may be catching a minnow in his pond, while a whale surfaces in yours.

By looking all over the court you may call a foul when your partner, whose PCA the play occurred in, may have passed intentionally on the play. You risk being out of position and messing up the flow of the game. Not to mention that it is hard sell to a coach who has any idea what he is doing when you make a call 60 feet from you and 10 feet from your partner. Stay at home and if your partner misses the call, it had better be a mugging or something that makes me think "WTF was that" before I think about coming in to blow.