"Everybody Look at Me!"
 

I was at a game last night watching simply for enjoyment. One particular official had several block/charge calls. Each time, he seemed to blow his whistle, pause as if to make sure everyone was looking at him and then signal emphatically either the block or the charge. It was actually quite funny to watch. Have any of you worked with guys like this who seem to be there to be seen by all in attendance?

Absolutely
 

But, it was at the Rec Ball level. I have worked with him over the yrs and he has gotten much better and turned into a pretty good official - willing to listen and learn.

Not that I recall. Sounds weird to me to do that.

Block/charge situations can turn into the dreaded blarge if not handled properly.
Perhaps there was a double whistle?
Maybe it was so loud that he couldn't hear another whistle?
It could've been pregamed to take an extra second on all block/charge calls...

Was this guy you? :)

Why do people worry about what their partners do and try to figure out every motivation? Work your game and do what works for you. How in the heck do you know the pause is not just because he has to think through the play? I think we worry too much about what others do and need to worry more about what we are doing.

Peace

+1

We have a real tendency to eat our own sometime.

Why not just look at a play like this and see whether he's getting the call right or not? And if he isn't, maybe we can help him to figure out why he isn't. That's the important thing imo.

+2

If he didn't do it the OP would have read "Had an official who blew his whistle and gave the preliminary so quickly no one knew what he had."

+3

Agreed, we emphasize delaying preliminary signals on block/charge, we train newbies to s-l-o-w down, get the call right, and wait a second between whistle and signal so that the attention of players, coaches, and partners has focused on you.

I think Bob nailed it, if he was rushing into signals the OP would read "Partner risking a blarge, and signaling so quick I didn't know what his call was."

The OP was a spectator, but all of the responses with the + are accurate, as is the one immediately preceding them.

On a block/charge wouldn't an official want to make sure everyone was looking at him and that another officials didn't have a whistle on the play also?

+1 and +4 on JRut's post = +5 on the thread

That's what I was taught.

One of the reasons I was taught to slow down block/charge is that it has a "calming effect on the gym." I wonder if this is always true.

For example, let's say you have a charge. Whistle and fist up, wait for it, hand behind neck. Often times, the effect isn't so calm when the crowd clearly (albeit wrongly) is expecting a blocking signal, and the reaction is far from calm. I wonder if a quicker move from the fist to the charge signal would be a better sell. That intended effect of slowing down could backfire, from what I've seen.

Thoughts from the vets?

My thought is to just make your signals the same way you've been doing it all game. A lot of times, not selling a call sells that call better than putting on a show. If you make the call in a clear, competent and confident way, the call will sell itself.

JMO

What am I missing here?
 

Isn't that the whole point of blowing the whistle? Kinda comes with the territory when ya put on the silly striped shirt.