the best laid plans..........

[just another ref]

We had the "partner from hell" calling my son's game last night.(8th grade) This young lady is a rookie that I had only seen once before at a scrimmage/officials clinic, but I had a strong feeling that she was going to be THE one. That night, for example, she repeatedly gave the T sign whenever anybody called time out. I really couldn't think of any more examples because that's about the only call she made.
Anyway, all season long my son had complained that on a throw-in the defender would stick his arm over the line with not so much as a warning given all year. I told him next time that happened to be sure they were on his side of the line and to reach up and touch that hand with the ball. I assured him that a lot of officials won't ever give that warning, but would call the T every time. It happened.
This is a small gym, very little space on the sideline. The defender had his foot centered on the line and his hand probably a foot off the court, almost right over my son's nose. He reached up and touched the kid's hand with the ball, once, twice, three times. They kinda had a little shoving match with the ball. She never stopped counting.
Finally he realized he had to do something else quick and bounced the ball off the defender's foot. Unfortunately, it bounced back and touched him and she awarded the other team the ball. You had to see it to believe it.