I officiate recreation league games for different age groups. 8, 10, 12 and 14-under co ed basketball. I try to watch as many high school games in my area as possible so i can see the mechanics of referees and also listen to how they report to the table, call fouls, etc. Even the way the whistle is used, i try to take note of that in my mind.

As a recreation league official (who has no training whatsoever because it is not provided nor is it required)want to learn some of the basic "no-no's" of officiating games.

In previous posts, i learned that there is no such thing as an "over the back call" and that you dont point your finger up and swirl it around when the ball doesnt make contact with the rin on a free throw (someone called it the toilet bowl)

Can i get input of commonly used mechanisms or terms that are incorrect? Im not really looking for anything very specific. Just common things that people like me at the recreation level normally do. It would help me out so I dont look like an idiot

Thanks

[Edited by South Bay HHVBC on Feb 21st, 2003 at 01:51 PM]

A big one is a backcourt violation. A player must make contact with the frontcourt with both feet and the ball before he is considered in the frontcourt. Many officials call a backcourt violation if a player touches the line and then goes back again into the backcourt.

My latest Pet Peeve
 

A partner who "Foul tips" all, (allegedly clean) shot blocks; especially when they are in my primary.

Please remember that this only applies to a player who is dribbling the ball.

Chuck

Only true during a dribble.

A few phrases that you should definitely leave out of your vocab: reach, with the body, walking, hack. And the famous, "givin' 'im the business!" :D

Chuck

Others to avoid: "quit reachin'," "that's a force-out," "blocking foul because the defender wasn't perfectly set," and "yell at my partner instead..he's the one that called it." :-)

Z

Traveling during a spot throw in.

"Coach, that's not my call"

Hey Chuck
 

What's wrong with the terminology, "with the body?" I find it useful if the coach sees a clean block on the ball and screams that it was clean, when I'm calling the hip check or whatever. Just call the push, or what?

Years ago, when Jack Ramsay was coaching the Trailblazers, he asked referee Dick Bavetta to explain a non-call. Bavetta told Ramsay that it "wasn't his call".

Ramsay replied, "You're a referee. If it's not your call, whose is it - the popcorn guy?"

Re: Hey Chuck
 

Probably nothing wrong in using it as a description to the coach. I was thinking about officials who use it in reporting the foul to the table. "Blue 23, with the body! Two shots." Blech.

Chuck

One of my favorite NBA stories of all time. That's why I included that as a line to avoid :)

I was working a rec game with a partner that would give his ten second count with BOTH ARMS. What I mean is that he would begin with the right arm from chest to about shoulder high. But when his count reached six up would come the left arm and both arms are now flailing away! Talk about looking ridiculous. :(

signals: foul tip signal

phrases:

1) "over the back" instead of pushing

2) "on the floor" instead of out-of-bounds or one-and-one

3) "offensive foul" instead of player control

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
[B]signals: foul tip signal

phrases:


2) "on the floor" instead of out-of-bounds or one-and-one

:confused: What are we talking about here? How could it be anything besides a foul before a shot?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by RecRef
[B]It is a foul before the shot.Mark is talking about the official notifying his partner(s) about what to do,and then signaling the foul.It gets the ball back into play as soon as he's done signalling,because his partner(s) can get things set up.
1)out-of-bounds means the bonus hasn't been reached yet.
2)one-and-one means that the team that was fouled has the bonus.This could be "two" also,if they're in the double bonus.
In the first case,his partner(s)will line the teams up for a throw-in by the team that got fouled.In the second case,his partner(s) will line the teams up for the FT's by the player who was fouled.

make sense now?

[Edited by Jurassic Referee on Feb 22nd, 2003 at 01:41 AM]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
[B][QUOTE]Originally posted by RecRef
[B]

Oh, I am being too literal on this.

:D and also guilty as charged for using it but I do so more for the players benefit than my partners.

"Blue 23, with the hold!

Man, I hate that one!

Question.

I just saw a quote that said you should never tell the coach that's not my call. What should you tell him?

If you are officiating in a two-person crew, tell him it is the Center's call.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
[B]
Thank you, JR.

I usually say, "Coach, I wasn't even looking there." And then I tell him where I was looking. Lets him know that I'm watching off-ball.

Or I'll say, "Coach, he obviously had a better angle than I did and he saw something I didn't."

Chuck

Chuck --

Did you say that ... TODAY ... in your ... GAME? ....

What else did you say? And do? How did it go?.....

The Officials Manual (Page 68) says nothing about "verbally" reporting the nature of the foul to the table--only a visual signal (i.e. holding/block). I never give a verbal signal to the table....however, I do see officials verbally say "reach-in", "over the back" and I know one who calls a "hack". Why give a verbal signal if it is not required...

Coach, I'm officiating the 4 guys in my area.

Coach, I was watching off the ball, since the ball wasn't any my area.

Because as an official who has also worked at the table I can tell you IT HELPS minimize confusion and mistakes for the stat keepers.

Besides color, number, and consequence, what other info does the table need?

Okay, I've got a couple:

Using a variation of the "illegal use of hands" signal to indicate exacly HOW the player was fouled. I see NCAA refs often give this signal as if they are replaying the foul for the table to see (smack their elbow, upper arm, whatever).

Pointing to the table instead of chopping the time in always annoys me. The only time I point to the table is while I'm winking at the attractive timekeeper.

Even though it's an NCAA mechanic, I hate the "not-closely-guarded" signal. I see it in NF sometimes, and it looks like the ref is saying "I have no idea what's going on." My thought is, if I'm not counting, he/she's not closely guarded.

This last one's up for discussion, but I'll put it here anyway. The signal for "basket counts," for a BI, goal-tend, or foul on the shooter situation. I've seen some really weird stuff here. Seems like some refs get to "enthusiatic" with the call, I guess to sell it. It almost looks as if they are celebrating the goal along with the scoring team.

What info does the table really need?
 

In addition to the color, number, consequence, I give the signal for the foul type (NF). But I've also seen refs give a verbal description of the foul type, and indicate direction and/or location. I don't see that this is useful, as it's my partner who needs to know the throw-in spot, not the table.

Any thoughts?

I disagree a bit with some of the comments as they apply to pre-HS levels. For example, I think saying "with the body" while giving the push signal is good education for the players and coach -- who so often are going nuts because there was a clean block if you only looked from the shoulders up. Similarly, pointing to the elbow b/c that's where the contact was can help tell the coach what's going on.

(None of this excuses "over the back" or "reach," however, as both describe a legal play until and unless illegal contact is made and both expressions "teach" an incaccurate understanding of the rules . . . though I got called for both in the same adult rec league game last week . . . )

I personally like the "not closely guarded" mechanic and use it on all levels. It lets the coaches, players, and fans know the difference of just forgetting to call it or wether or not the requirements of the count are being fufilled. So I have to disagree with that earlier statement.

I have used some of the above mechanics that people say they never use. I do not use them out of habit. I have used them when the coach is verbally communicating with me. For instance, the closely-guarded or should I say when the player is not closely-guarded instead of either 1) yelling across the floor at the coach 2)ignoring the coach and using the mentality that if I am not counting they are not closely-guarded. Using or saying certains mechanics when you are be questioned by the coach I feel goes a long way with good game management. Using unauthorized mechanics all the time, or saying certain things all the time, makes the difference between good and and better officials.

AK ref SE