High Dribbles

Dupe · #1 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:14pm

There are many times when a player dribbles a ball high and the coaches/fans all go crazy wanting a call. I normally don't call anything.

What do you call or not call or say to the coaches??

I had this lady in the stands screaming at me the other night and I asked her what she wanted me to call and she made this up/down hand motion. I said you wanted me to call dribbling. She didn't think it was funny.

Hawks Coach · #2 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:17pm

You don't need to say anything unless asked about it. Then if you choose to you can explain to the coach that a high dribble is not automatically a carry. And you don't owe any explanations to fans. They know less about the rules than us coaches, and say far stupider things.

AK ref SE · #3 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:20pm

I for the most part, if a coach wants an explanation, I will tell him/her as well as a visual will state the hand was always on top of the ball.

AK ref SE

Dan_ref · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:23pm

Don't explain yourself to the people in the stands, you are only asking for trouble. If the coach asks you a question, answer him:

"Hey ref, that's a travel! Double dribble! Something! Anything!"
"No it's not!"

Simple stuff, eh?

canuckrefguy · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:25pm

It is not an illegal dribble until the ball is carried in the palm of the hand...something relatively impossible if the hand is facing down towards the floor.

Palm facing up...palm facing sideways....palm "pushing" forward....there MAY, repeat, MAY be a call.

I always tell coaches "I got no carry...ball was not at rest"

As Hawks Coach says, I say nothing to the fan.

High dribbles may be ugly, but they're not illegal.

LarryS · #6 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:27pm

I have worked with many experienced officials who call that as a carry violation. I have asked some of them about the call, pointing out the hand was always on top thus making a carry or double-dribble impossible. To an official, they all had the same answer..."If the kid can't dribble better than that, I'm calling a violation."

Until my assignor tells me to ignore the rule...I have nothing but an ugly looking dribble, play on.

mplagrow · #7 (**permalink**) Thu Feb 20, 2003, 04:34pm

I've had way too many officials call this a carry right in front of me when I was confident the dribble was high, ugly, and LEGAL. I believe officials are quick to jump on this, and fans and coaches are quick to ask for it. I just keep callin' it like I see it, and if someone calls it in my area, I ask them at the next time out what prompted them to make the call.