lanyard or carry?
 

Any feelings about wearing/not wearing a lanyard? Does it make a difference for you as a partner? Should other officials care if you wear a lanyard or carry? Personally I like carrying for any number of reasons.

They shouldn't, but I guarantee some of them do. Stand by, more to follow.

I wear a lanyard, and right now I can't see myself ever not wearing one. I would definitely drop my whistle on the floor!

Only person I would worry about is my supervisor, assignor, and/or observer for that particular game.

Personally, I wouldn't dream of going without a lanyard; any perceived benefits are far outweighed by the risk (launching my whistle into the stands) and likely expense (replacing "lost" whistles) I would incur.

No one in my area is going without a lanyard, and this is not an area where I would prefer to "stand out." Some (rightly or wrongly) look at officials going without a lanyard as show-offs and fad-chasers.

I use a smitty.

In some low-level men's league games, I was able to work into my mechanics the carry-method, as seen by some NBE refs. I tried it as a challenge from another official. After we realized how much better the smitty is, I went back to the smitty.

I couldn't begin to tell you which of my partners use a lanyard and which don't.

Agreed. Many that have worked some Pro-Am believe in not using a lanyard and to many it looks stupid to not use one as well. At the end of the day it is up to the supervisor. I personally think it looks stupid, but that is just me.

Peace

It makes no difference to me, but it seems to me to be one of those fashion things that are about style over substance.

I have worked games sans-lanyard and don't find it benificial to my game.

As an observer I don't particularly like it. To me, the mechanic of blowing and taking the whistle out of the mouth is a distracting extra movement.

I have a good friend that I worked with in 5 games over the span of a week ( 2 nights of 2-person HS JV/V Boys double-headers & a 3-person JUCO game). In the HS games he worked without the lanyard; come the JUCO game he uses the smitty and on an easy OOB call he almost rips his shirt when he moves his hand up to tug the whistle from his mouth. We were strong side on that play and I had a good look at his mechanics. I thought it was humorous. :)

I work basketball with a smitty and I carry in soccer. I've thought about trying carrying in basketball, but there's too much signaling with the hands for me to want to do it.

I think the big difference also is you ref whistle in mouth in basketball and whistle in hand in soccer.

For some it is, for others it's a tool to force themselves to slow down and focus after they blow their whistle. Again, a very small benefit to accompany the risks IMO.

If your partners are good at carrying the whistle you shouldn't know...but if it starts to effect that officials performance you would know, short burst or whistles that are so soft the players continue to play. Poor mechanics because the officials is so concetrated on not dropping their whistle.

The NF and the NCAA CCA manual say that lanyards are mandatory.

Slowing down their mechanics is a bunch of crap is you ask me.

I can't agree more...I think it is a cool factor for some of them.

I guess because I played IM & rec ball, I got used to officials holding the whistle in their hands and hesitating to bring it to their mouths to whistle a call. That irked me. I cannot imagine not having a lanyard or smitty. But that is my choice. I don't chew gum during games, either, but many do. If it works for them, I've got no problems. There are bigger fish to fry.

I wouldn't say it's a bunch of crap. Not everyone's brain and body works the same. Some folks might need that extra second to properly process everything that need to do after the whistle.

I've never understood chewing gum when you need to be able to blow a whistle. I just know I'd blow the gum into the whistle the first time I tried to call anything.

This is just a lame reasons people who spit (no lanyard) use to justify not using a lanyard.

A bunch of crap in that it doesn't work? Or that they're lying about their motive?

Some chew gum because they need it to keep their mouth from drying out. I've tried it and ended up finding a garbage can at the quarter break.

I don't see how you can apply that reasoning to everybody who doesn't use a lanyard.

Guess I'm just not that cynical.

Landyard or Carry
 

The manuals(NHFS & NCAA) say you must wear a landyard. I think you should wear one when doing games. What you do in the off season is your business. When you are in the BIG TIME, do what you want. Otherwise, where a landyard...WANT-A-BE!

If it effects my partners' performance, I am sure the supervisor will tell them. If supervisors don't, oh well. I will not say anything until it starts hurting the crew.

+1

I personally like going sans-lanyard but I only save that for rec league. I have no reason why I do. Do I care if my partner goes sans or not? Hell no. Should a partner care? That's another hell no...especially if it doesn't effect how your partner works the game, but many do for some reason.

If it doesn't effect the game I don't really care. I work with some college officials that work pro or pro-am ball and you would never know if the had a lanyard or not...but we have had a rash of high school officials in our area that starting going without a lanyard and IMO after watching and working with them it effects their performance and communciation skills...not acceptable.

How about this: If your supervisor/assigner cares, follow suit. If he/she doesn't, then it isn't a big deal. Period.

That's pretty much true about anything we do.

If both manuals say you should use a lanyard but your supervisor doesn't care you shouldn't care. So if my supervisor doesn't care if I wear white shoes it shouldn't matter...if my supervisor doesn't care if I wear shorts instead of pants it shouldn't matter?

Pretty much boils it down.
The rules currently do not allow for an optional shot clock, yet some states adopt it.
The rules say the jackets need to be black, yet I've seen crews wear white jackets.
The rules don't allow for the foul-tip signal, yet....
What's the NFHS manual say about side-panel shirts? Gray shirts? I don't know, to be honest, but it doesn't matter because they were allowed by my local association for the first time this year. Those working playoffs, however, have been instructed not to wear them.

With this stuff, it really comes down to what's acceptable to your supervisor.

carry= too cool for school.

Is that really a realistic comparison?

How about this? The NFHS manual says to report fouls with 1 hands. Some supervisors don't care so you have officials who do 2-hand reporting. Would I care if my partners do that? Absolutely not.

Would I care if my partner were shorts or white shoes? That's a totally different ball game we're talking about now.

And this, beyond what supervisors and observers want, is the whole ballgame.

There are lots of officials who think that those who carry a whistle are showing off because, well, lots of guys (not saying a majority) who carry are indeed showing off. As with most things in life, the motivation underlying an act will significantly impact its execution. If you carry to look cool, then you're not going to get the maximum benefit out of the process. If on the other hand, you decide to pracice carrying for the purpose of slowing down, then there are definite benefits to be had.

I experimented for a while with carrying a few years back, and I'll admit that at the outset of that project, I was concerned more with style than substance. But after doing it for a little while, I realized that I was only going to hurt myself if I didn't slow down without a lanyard. After breaking through that barrier, I did indeed slow down on some things, and i believe I helped myself significantly.

FWIW, I broke my lanyard in a game a couple of weeks ago, and I went the last ten minutes without one. I could actually feel myself, and shortly thereafter the game, slowing down. Of course I could have run back into the locker room to grab another lanyard, but thought I could get by based on prior practice. Luckily I didn't embarrass myself.

I don't see any downside at all to practicing without a lanyard in rec games, just to see what it does to your game. If you don't like it, or don't feel comfortable doing it, then don't continue. But I would encourage anyone to be very, very honest with him/herself about going into a meaningful game without one. If your partners or anyone else can notice any negative impact on the game as a result, then you need to grab a lanyard, post haste.

Getting a l'il carried away, aren't ya? :)

A supervisor usually sets a dress code. The lanyard might be part of that code. If it isn't, just ask the supervisor if he/she has a preference and proceed accordingly. What it isn't is a biggie imo.

Sorry...I wasn't being realistic.

Let me chime in on this matter. As if it will make all the difference in the world. One association I carry, the other I don't. All MS and wreck league games I carry. Why? Because I can, that's why. Am I slower? Probably not, more likely quicker and not as sharp on the mechanics, but definitely more vocal in those games, especially MS girls. I find MS girls games being vocal with the players and coaches is easier than sharp mechanics. So I carry to verbalize clearer to the players.:)

I am confused. I have a lanyard and spit the whistle out to communicate. Unless you're talking about live ball situations.

One question you can ask yourself....are the officials who arent wearing lanyards getting games or sitting at home? That will give you a realistic view of what the supervisor(s) in their respective conference(s) think......just my 2 cents.

In Southern Nevada it doesn't matter if an official uses a lanyard or not (two hands either) unless it starts to become a problem with dropped whistles, reduced communication, etc. I received word about that around Christmas and sent out an email to our group.

I understand everyone has their peeves and some things aren't a big deal. Personally, I would like to donate $$$ every year and not wear pink whistles - or, wear them for a week or a few games. Again, this is just something personal to me; if I could get a pink Dolphin without CMG I would wear it all season and wouldn't care.

Even during live ball, you can take the whistle out of your mouth with your hand just like you would without a lanyard. I do it all the time. I have heard about not using a lanyard to "slow down" but never heard that it makes it easier to communicate. That makes no sense.

I know some guys who work the D-league and other pro ball and I would say the majority of them do not use lanyards. In my HS association the vast majority of us do use lanyards and are encouraged to do so by the Commissioner.

I have tried both but prefer using a lanyard at all times. I think it really is about personal preference and couldn't care less whether my partners wear one or not. For me, the only way I will go sans lanyard is if the assingor at the level I'm trying to advance to encourages it.

Carrying does seem strange. I think I'd use my football finger whistle before I carried.

Go ducks!
 

Hate sans. (fixed :D ) I personally enjoy wearing my Oregon duck lanyard when i do Rec games. But when i need to be a little more professional ill whip out my Smitty. :D

How does one wear an Oregon duck? :confused:

Go ducks!!!!!
 

You know that sans lanyard means without a lanyard right? And is there a reason you don't just go with a Smitty the entire time? Maybe it's just a regional thing, but the rec league assignors here (who tend to be officials in the chapter), make us look almost like we do in league games (save wearing slacks, wide panel shirts, jackets).

Still lovin them ducks
 

Oops, forgot a few words. Guess i got ahead of myself. ill fix it thanks! lol.
I don't use a Smitty all the time because i enjoy supporting my home town and school, also the lanyard was a gift from my father along time ago...

Is That What You Call It ???
 

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