NFHS - Two Hand Reporting
 

What is the decision behind using only 1 hand for foul reporting in NFHS? Have they ever explained their stance?

Using one hand forces you to slow down, signal each number individually. That's important when you may have a 14 y/o kid keeping score. It's worked in high school AND college for years.

Also, if it's really loud in the gym, it helps the scorer know that the foul in on number 14 and not number 5.

I don't know a scorer who would read four fingers on the left hand and one finger on the right hand as the number five. This ain't addition.

The reason, IMO, why it's not explicitly allowed in NFHS is since the talent of officials encompasses all levels of officials, they keep it simple for everyone. There would be too many officials who mix up how to properly report with two hands. Also, the same thing with scorers who would somehow mix this up.

The two-handed system doesn't distinguish between 52 and 7, par example.

It's expected that the score keeper at an NBA is a professional with ample basketball knowledge and is able to discern whom the foul was called upon.

Except 7 is not even a legal number under NF, so that's an afterthought.

My point was that even in the NBA and their professional scorekeepers, two-handed reporting has it's difficulties. That these issues wouldn't exist in Fed wasn't my point. (Other issues would exist as noted.)

I used to work a basketball tournament with modified pro rules and one year, a team had both #55 and #99 on their roster. For each one, the official would flash both hands and fingers so fast I had no idea who they were calling the foul on. If it was noisy, that just added to the challenge of figuring out which player got the foul. :D

At the risk of a hijack, are officials supposed to have their hands in front of the body when indicating the number or off to the side? When some officials indicate numbers with their hands in front of the body, the fingers sometimes blend in with the stripes. :(

But We'll Travel Along, Singin' A Song ...
 

IAABO mechanics went to the side two years ago. I can't comment on NFHS mechanics, but I'm sure that someone who knows will be along to comment soon.

Off to the side, head level I believe.

I don't have my Official's Manual with me, but we were taught to report in front about chest level.

make sure you pulse the hand foward and back, then show the back of the hand for the 2nd digit.:eek: NOT!:)
And don't forget to keep moving while reporting.

Any issues that could come up from two-hand reporting are counterbalanced by a similar issue with one-hand reporting...neither one communicates better or worse than the other. The problem with communicating to the table usually resides with us - not whether we use one or two hands to report numbers, but whether we take the time to make eye contact, speak loudly and clearly as we state and show the number, etc., etc...

I worked with a gal in spring league about a month ago who would have had to hold her hands waaaaay out in front to do this. ;)

Not everything is done out of that manual. This is one of those cases for most people.

Peace