I once had a clinician explain it this way - "When you get change back at a store do they give you two-five cents or twenty-five cents?" That cleared it up but also speaks to what people are expecting to hear, especially at the scorer's table.

As has been said, though, do as they do/expect in your part of the world and there shouldn't be an issue.

In the Introduction of the NFHS 2011-2012 Basketball Officials Manual, under heading 0.2 2011-13 Mechanics Points of Emphasas, it is stated in the third paragraph:


I am so used to hearing the full number being said when reported, unless of course the scorer is giving a deer in the headlights look.

The other thing mentioned is that when reporting a two-digit number, not to spin your hand around to report the second number.

Those Were The Days My Friend, I'd Thought They'd Never End ...
 

BktBallRef: Man, do you have a great memory. That change was made when IAABO was still using the NFHS mechanics manual, so we changed when everybody else did. I can't even remember how we did it back then. Did the trail just administer the first shot, or was it all shots?

Hey, Got Two Dimes For A Nickel ???
 

They usually just give me a quarter.

Convert!?
 

When I first started I was taught to say one-two (vice twelve). Then I went to games and training and watched the senior officials in my association and changed.

Hey, when in Rome.....

Me too.

As I was typing that I was thinking I might want to use two-three, er, twenty-three cents as an example. :rolleyes:

I'm Not Talking About The Breakfast Of Champions ...
 

If the cashier gives me twenty-three cents change, then I'm going to hitch up my belt to keep my pants from falling down. I'll check for "Wheaties" as soon as get home.

I was in VT for my first 6 seasons back. It is an IAABO state. "Thirty-two", not "three, two", was the law of the land.
Which is what we do here in FL. And is in the officiating manual.

All shots. Then we kept the shots to be taken visible. For a one-and-one, we would count with our trail finger wagging up and down. Then we had a quick up with the hand after the release so we could chop in time. Before the gap, of course.

3-2. If you say, "thirty-two", what do you say for 14? "Four-teen?" To me, that would cause more confusion than 1-4. Also, what about 00?

I have been doing 3-2 for almost 25 years and never had any table person with a problem related to that. If they didn't hear me, they weren't going to hear thirty two either.

I have to wonder if those writing these manuals saying "thirty-two" have ever actually officiated.

Intent And Purpose ...
 

IAABO manual? My IAABO manual just says to "state the color and number". Now, technically, you may be correct, three two is not a number, just two numerals, whereas thirty-two is an actual number. But is it the intent of IAABO to demand that we state an actual number, or do they leave it up to the individual boards?

I would love to get an interpretation of this "mechanic" from Peter Webb, the IAABO "international" interpreter. Last season he observed all the state finals, boys, and girls, eight games, here in Connecticut, where three two is the "law of the land". He had a lot of constructive criticism for our guys: calling outside of primary coverage areas, passing on free throw violations, hit and run reporting of fouls, not using the stop clock signal, and not visibly showing all counts that need to be visible, but he didn't mention our guys reporting the numbers incorrectly.

Totally agree. Probably not on the last comment.

Peace

I've done it both ways. For the first half of my career, I did individual digits. Bktballref then convinced me that reporting the number meant a number, not individual digits. I haven't had any significant problems with either approach. If you speak clearly and give strong signals, it probably doesn't matter which way you do it.

But just so I can say I'm following the manual, I now say "twenty-five", rather than "two-five".

Could it have been this year's NFHS Preseason Guide, page 3?

"When verbalizing a two-digit number, say the full number, not the two parts. For example, a foul on number 24 should be said, "Blue twenty-four," not Blue, two-four."

From the same Guide: "When giving a number combination like 22, give a distinct pause between the numbers so the scorer doesn't get confused."

Nuf Sed for the NFHS guidance.