The more you study the rules the more you'll be amazed at the amount of "strange" conversations you will have with "veteran" officials.

It will be far from the last time. And you'll find many very accomplished officials that really are very poor with the rules. They get by on charisma and salesmanship. And they make it harder for those that actually do it right.

What Color is This Year's Rule Book,Anyway?
 

Or, as has been heard around here as attributed to a relatively veteran official, "Everything I know I learned on the court." Vis-a-vis, others are merely "rules geeks" who aren't really in touch with the game.
Avid rules knowledge and "feel for the game" need not be mutually exclusive.
Best to possess both attributes.

Ouch! Agreed though.

Seriously. I don't even discuss rules with local officials. I count maybe on 1 hand the number of HS refs here on the Peninsula who study the rules.

And a lot of college guys aren't much better. A couple of the guys who have helped me along are terrible when it comes to the rules quizzes we take, but at least they acknowledge it and know who to trust to get the right ruling. It's HS guys who sit there and argue with you without any basis from the rule book.

BNR - Always room to improve. I work with many senior and more experienced officials who care and pride themselves on rules knowledge. That being said, I have had several "discussions" where I have sent an email when I got home quoting the reg (if I can't find it at the game - or they just don't want to wait and discuss at the game (preferred)).

If they're wrong I usually don't hear back.....

If I miss it, I'll cop to it.

Live and learn.

I cannot say it is that bad in my experience. Usually the stuff they do not know is often obscure or not often used rules. For example I had a veteran (who is a State Final official) tried to debate with me an intentional foul would get 2 shots always even on a 3 point shot. Well that is rather obscure and unusual rule for sure. But I do not see many veterans not knowing substitution rules or throw-in violation for 5 seconds. But I am often surprised what rules a veteran will argue like I mentioned earlier.

Peace

Unfortunately it is pretty bad right here in my immediate area at the moment. I enjoy going to camps and being able to have sustansive conversations about officiating.

or just coming to the Forum! ;)

It really is that bad....even on basic stuff...and not just here.

I see officials call block/charge wrong because they don't really know the rules of legal guarding. For example, calling a block on defender with clear LGP who takes one step backwards or leans backwards but still gets clobbered. Or calling a block on a moving defender because the defender wasn't "set" when both players were on the ground with contact solely in the torso.

I see officials call traveling wrong (both incorrect calls and incorrect no calls) because they don't understand the rules. For example, high dribbles, fumbles, muffs, etc. get called a travel/carry.

I see officials call violations on throwins because the don't know the rules....such as when the thrower moves their feet or jumps and lands with the ball.

I even see some of these incorrect calls in NCAA D1 games almost as much as I see them in HS games. All basic fundamental stuff that gets regularly missed.

Confucius Says ...
 

You are where you are until you get where you're going.

Yes, but nothing beats discussing a situation that just happened on the court.

I've had some crazy discussions with some high level "seasoned" officials (whether a shot at the wrong basket should count if time expires while the ball is in the air, or whether an airborne player who catches the ball is allowed to land on his arse). I've had equally seasoned and respected partners call a player OOB for not having established two feet inbounds after being OOB. I won't say what city I was in when these happened to protect the guilty and the innocent.

Agreed.

And the ball is dead after a made basket EVEN THOUGH THE CLOCK IS RUNNING.