How to have your worst game of the season!

[RecRef]

I’m doing a Saturday night game at a small town school 60+ miles from home. There are several country inns/restaurants in the area so the Mrs. came along so we can have a nice dinner after the game. While the game is going on she was hitting the outlet mall located in the town.


Got to the school in plenty of time and was having a relaxed pregame with my partner. Should be no problem as it is a freshman game and the home team is, well let’s just say that they show-up. This night there are 2 games going on at the same time. My game is in the small gym, full size court, and the JV in the main gym. Who walks in to do the JV game, the association’s assignor! He announces that he wants my partner to work the JV game and he will take me.

Right off of the tip things go wrong. I’m U, so I am standing there waiting for the throw and saying to myself over and over, White to the left, Red to the right. White gets the tap and I start to the left. Over my shoulder I see the white guard turn around and head the back toward the division line. “Oh my, did I do this wrong?” is going through my head. I turn to race the other way. After I have taken a few steps I see the guard turn again to setup a play. I am then across court but face to face with my partner. As I sprint back, I run into a kid.

Things are going OK until a ball goes OOB right in front of red’s bleacher. Small gym so the kids are sitting on the first row. Hand goes up and I yell “red ball” but point in the direction of white’s basket. Red coach goes ballistic. Kid does step in and tells the coach that I said red.

During or halftime talk my assignor tells me that he would not call the little touch fouls that I have been calling. (I don’t really thank that they were touches but I am not going to disagree as I really respect his judgment)

The 3rd quarter has become very intense as the home team has taken the lead and is pulling away. Red is shooting bricks, even from under the basket. Fourth quarter starts with white up by 15. Fans, and there are a lot of them are going nuts.

In the 4th quarter red finds it range and is sinking 3s from all over the court, that plus several beautiful fast breaks. White is hanging in there and the game is getting very physical. Both teams are in the double bonus and I realize that I have called only one of them. I did freeze on one call, foul or OOB? Partner reaches and calls it OOB. I then realized that he has done so on several others. I’m just not processing things...

Red won the game by 1 with 2 seconds left on a shot from the top of the key.

Thanks for the shoulder. It’s back to doing rec ball for me...

Oh, the meal was great and the wife could not find “much” to buy.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by RecRef

I’m doing a Saturday night game at a small town school 60+ miles from home. There are several country inns/restaurants in the area so the Mrs. came along

Driving 120 miles with your wife in the car. Now I understand the title of your post.

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Sounds like a tough one... but don't get all lathered up - your partner may have a different perspective. He obviously had a different perspective before the game started - in feeling that you were ready for this game.

It is easy to get surprised... and to get a much more significant game assignment only minutes before the game would defintely be a surprise.

Hope it all works out well.

Oooops ! I spoke too soon. My assigner just called... SURPRISE... a different game, an hour earlier, with someone from another district, meet him when he shows up. Wonderful.

Which direction was white going?

[ReadyToRef]

First Varsity Game.

Partners: "This is a really big game. Two years ago, teh visiting coach was arrested for arguing/assaulting? a fan. Oh, by the way, the STATE evaluator is here."

Coach calls a full time out which I hear and go to administer. I wait until all the players make their way toward their benches. I do the full TO mechanics and poke a slow returning player in the eye. Egad, where did he come from?

Game was actually very close and spirited but went well.

Haven't heard the results of the evaluation. I assume the player is not permanently blinded since no lawyers have called.

Live and learn. It sounds like you were a little nervous.