Another Blarge

[JugglingReferee]

Does anyone else see the logic that not signaling, just because another official does signal, is actually more damaging to getting the call right than going with a blarge; especially when considering repsected opinions about whose call that "should be" has the non-calling official not signaling when it is his call to make (in other words, the guy that fished out of his pond got the call wrong)?

It should be noted that I haven't a blarge in close to 10 years.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

It should be noted that I haven't a blarge in close to 10 years.

Thirty years and counting for me. Here in my little corner of Connecticut we try not to give a preliminary signal on double whistle, and when such double whistles occur, we usually defer to the lead official. There have been several times when, as the lead, I didn't hear the trail's whistle, and gave a preliminary signal, but in all cases, the trail either didn't give a preliminary signal, or gave the same preliminary signal as me. I guess that I've just been lucky so far. I'm sure that it will happen to me someday.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Thirty years and counting for me. Here in my little corner of Connecticut we try not to give a preliminary signal on double whistle, and when such double whistles occur, we usually defer to the lead official. There have been several times when, as the lead, I didn't hear the trail's whistle, and gave a preliminary signal, but in all cases, the trail either didn't give a preliminary signal, or gave the same preliminary signal as me. I guess that I've just been lucky so far. I'm sure that it will happen to me someday.

How much 3-person do you work? I've had one in my career, two years ago in a juco men's game. I was the lead, it was a secondary defender deep in the lane, and the T had no business making the call, let alone such an incredibly wrong one.

We got through it. But now we cover the lane extensively in the pregame -- the lead in most of my games has the deep half of the paint and all secondary defenders in the paint and this has seemed to clean up the outside officials jumping in.

I agree with Juggling, though -- why should a blarge be avoided when one of the calls could be momumentally wrong? Should the first person to signal be the one that prevails EVERY TIME?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

How much 3-person do you work?

Thirty years. One game. A few scrimmages. Remember, this is Connecticut, the Land of Steady Habits, and the Land of the Two Person Game.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Thirty years. One game. A few scrimmages. Remember, this is Connecticut, the Land of Steady Habits, and the Land of the Two Person Game.

And blarges happen most often in 3-person games.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

And blarges happen most often in 3-person games.

I'm sure that there would be even more in a four person game. And I can guarantee you that athletic directors, and principals, will never, ever, pay for four officials here in Connecticut. At least, not while I'm above ground.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm sure that there would be even more in a four person game.

It's the overlapping coverages in the 3-person game. If you have a foul in the lane in 2-person, you know who's getting it. 3-person? Not so much.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'm sure that there would be even more in a four person game.

Ha!

Seeing how the NBA hasn't yet implement the 4-man mechanics that I designed for them, and the NBE doesn't have blarges, then the question would be when will the NCAA go to 4-man?