Last night's finish
 

Worked a boys varsity game in the biggest conference in the area. Last place team (home, they'd won 4 in a row, though) against a team in the middle of the pack.

Home team jumped out 19-3 in the first quarter, tied at 25 at the half. Visiting team went up 7, but the home team tied it and the visitors held it the last minute for a final shot. Ball got knocked out of bounds with 1.2 seconds left. I was the trail opposite and the ball was inbounded on the endline by the lead.

Ball was passed across the court and the center called a shooting foul as time expired. Good call, the timing was right. Two free throws.

I was now the C and I stepped in and reminded my partners that if he hits the first one the game is over.

Cleared the lane, kid hit the first free throw, I hit my whistle and pointed at the table and we left the floor. We got yelled at by some guy at the other end of the floor who told us how horrible the call was -- guy's got great vision 100 feet away. We got "accosted" in the parking lot by a mom who probably had snuck out mid game for a brandy or two. She wasn't vulgar, just stupid. Had a hard time putting a sentence together and then kept saying, "That wasn't a shooting foul!"

We ignored her and kept right on walking. Then she focused on the fact that we were ignoring her. Then the best part: Some of the visiting players started yelling at her from outside the bus and she got into it with them.

I think it's the first time I've had a game end like that - with a free throw with no time on the clock.

We didn't get into the bonus for either team either half. Even after 3 officials showered (one at a time) and dressed, we were still on our way out the door less than 90 minutes after tipoff.

When In Rome ???
 

Any other way?

Yeah, a locker room with multiple showers.

Had a similiar one last month. Girl made the first FT, missed the second to lose 40-39. They were 1-10 in the last 3 minutes from the line.

They also went 0-25 for the season.

Sure is, but that's whole other different type of partner.

Had a weird play in this game.

Ball got knocked out of a visitor's players hands in the direction of the home team's frontcourt. I'm the C and the ball is heading right towards me.

I noticed a home player running right for me. I step back and watch as the player steps on the court with about an inch to spare, leaps out of bounds, and saves it back onto the court where it's possible it was caught in midair by a player that alighted from the backcourt. If so, it was likely a backcourt violation as it appeared the "saving" player had frontcourt status and possessed the ball in the air during the save itself.

That said, I was (1) getting out of the way and (2) forced to get a good look at the player's feet as he was saving the ball (both on the initial step and on the landing).

As this all happened so fast, I was the only one in position to call anything if it was there.

I just couldn't be sure we had all the elements of a violation (mainly I just didn't have a good look at the player streaking that ended up with the ball) and to be quite honest, I wasn't 100% sure that the player alighted from the backcourt. Just a tough, tough call.

The visiting coach asked both of my partners about it -- they said I was straddling the division line when it happened, and the coach was pretty good about it, especially since the home team missed a shot at the other end. But I still have little idea if I got it right or not.

The key question I have, Rich, is does save = control?

The key question I have, bainsey, is did you actually read what Rich wrote? :)

Rich: "...it appeared the saving player had frontcourt status and possessed the ball in the air during the save itself."

Kinda self-evident, don't ya think?

I think bainsey was commenting on the possibility that one could obtain possession while airborne as in the case that Rich presented.

And I think that Rich in the case that he presented already definitively stated that possession was obtained while airborne.

Your point, old man:? :D

I've forgotten already. :p Where's my meds?

In the land of steady habits......
 

where they only do two-man, maybe they don't have HUGE locker rooms for officials with multiple showers...... ;)

Save and COntrol are two separate items. You can have one without the other. In Rich's case, he had both.

Wonder if there was a game tape, Rich. I know it doesn't help now, but you might be able to see who was where.

It would be interesting, but I don't see how I could've done more with it. And with the home team losing on the foul at the horn, I'd rather not send mixed messages by going back for the tape -- they may think I want to look at the foul again and I really don't.

I do wonder if it's something the trail could've picked up since I was mainly trying to not get run over and also make sure the player saving the ball didn't step out of bounds before the save or before the ball was released back onto the court.