Being a good Quaker, I worked my first two games today, using the Consensus Method for keeping track of the arrow. My partner and I discussed the arrow before the first game, both of us felt a little shaky about being the last word, table person was new. So we just sort of took a poll before we inbounded the ball each time -- we shouted to each other and looked questioningly at coaches, and waited until the Spirit moved us as to who should have the ball. Didn't work too bad!

Rainmaker, you are joking, right? If we do not have a reliable table person to keep the arrow, I ask my partner if he is keeping it (in his pocket, or whatever). If he says YES, then he's got it. If he says NO, then I've got it. Your method is OK, I guess, except for the "looking at the coaches" part. I hope the "Spirit" helped you to call the rest of the game. I will try it tomorrow in my travel games and let you know how I make out. (Not a Quaker in Massachusetts).

I'm sort of joking. My partner and I made a LOT of eye contact when we called a jump ball. It got kinda funny. And took time. Felt like Quaker business meeting!

Like most ofnthe officials I know, I always keep track of the AP arrow, usually by moving my spare whistle from side to side. It doesn't take me long to find out how efficient or capable the person at the table is and once I decide that they can't be relied on, I become the ultimate manager of the arrow. It hasn't failed me yet, even though the "official" keeper of the arrow is often subpar.

If you move a whistle from pocket to pocket for the AP arrow, forget about getting any big college assignments. A good official should be able to tell you which way the arrow is pointing, without looking at it, AT ALL TIMES.

I do keep the arrow in my pocket and I don't see anything wrong with that. I would much rather keep it in my pocket as a security blanket than try to remember it and get it wrong - even just once. If college officials frown upon us that use the spare whistle for AP, then I guess I don't want to be a college official after all.

It has nothing to do with college "officials" frowning upon you. It's moreso that college supervisors will frown upon it.

I like to keep track by moving a salami from pocket to pocket.

But seriously, what is the problem with it? I've seen many officials use this technique and I don't think it looks bad. If I am going to carry around a spare whistle anyway, why not make use of it?

I've also seen officials use a rubber band on their wrist, which is visible and I personally don't like. I've even seen one official with some apparatus attached to the underside of his whistle that indicated the possession direction.

#1, I don't think many officials carry a second whistle anymore. What's the purpose? I've never done it.

#2, in a girls game where there's a lot of held balls, it looks like you're playing pocket pool. JMHO.

I do, I even used the spare a couple of times. But I do not use it to help me with the AP arrow.

2-11-7 Scorer is responsible for recording jump balls and for the possession arrow. Where does the authority come from for the official to change this? About the only times I question the arrow is when a. we just had a jump ball a few seconds ago going this way, or b. we haven't had one this whole quarter and I know we started the quarter going this way.

Rule 2-11-11--"A bookkeeping mistake may be corrected at any time until the referee approves the final score".

Speaking of the Possession Arrow, since the rulebook REQUIRES schools to provide an arrow on the Scorer's table, has anyone ever insisted a school comply? Frankly working with the possession arrow on the scoreboard can be confusing.

No, but I worked with a guy once who kept this huge "Toucan Sam" doll in his ref bag. If a school didn't have a possession arrow, he'd make them use his "Toucan Sam" and the beak end was the arrow. :-)

I think most refs start out using a rubber band or moving a whistle from pocket to pocket when they begin officiating. Eventually, you'll get in the habit of looking at the table after the initial jump and every A.P. throw-in to make sure the arrow is always right. It isn't just college evaluators that ding you for the "pocket pool" method or rubber band. If you make it to a <i> high school </i> state tourney, you won't likely get picked to move on in the tournament if you can't keep track of the arrow that's at the table.

Z