How to ask for help

[just another ref]

Originally posted by zebraman

The dreaded shrug. Now everyone knows we're been guessing all game long. :-)

Z

8th grade games, years ago. Partner had called and canceled
so I was calling with the varsity coach. Ball goes out of bounds right in front of him. I had a pretty good look at the play but it was definitely his call. He blew the whistle but made no signal. I paused....nothing, so I pointed at him. He shrugged. I signaled blue (visitors)
ball. Home coach jumps up. "No, if you're not sure, that's gotta be a jump ball." I told him that I was sure enough. We talked about it later and he restated his position that if I wasn't 100% sure it should be a jump ball. I told him that if one waited to be 100% sure, nobody would ever call anything. We took this discussion one step farther. There are surely a lot more fouls that are committed and not called than fouls called that were not fouls, right? He agreed. That, I told him, is why I don't mind calling a foul when a player "reaches in" (ouch)
or whatever, even if I can't be absolutely certain of the contact. He disagreed here. Nope, can't do that. What does everybody think about this? I see games where it seems that the only call is jump ball after 2 players wrestle each other to the ground. I have learned over the years that there are many things that you can play through, but I don't think that my game will ever be totally without
educated guesses.