That works great!

Except the table isn't always right. :(

That's why it's an even better idea to learn to keep the AP in your head.

1) Do not use the whistle or whatever item you want to use from pocket to pocket method. It does not look good.

2) Do not use the rubber band from wrist to wrist method. If a rubber band is jewelry on a player it is jewelry on an official.

3) We are paid big bucks (poor Buckeyes, :o) to know the direction of the AP Arrow. That means we need better game awareness.

4) I own a couple of whistles with the Flip Switch and I just bought two of the new whistles with the buttons on them. Do NOT use either of these types of whistles during real basketball games; see (1), (2), and especially (3) above.

5) I bought both the Flip Switch and the button whistles for two reasons: 1) I wanted to try them, and 2) I wanted a tax deduction for buying equipment. The Flip Switch does effect the sound of the Fox-40. The button whistles, which look like a Fox-40, do not sound any different.

6) I use the Flip Switch whistles during H.S. scrimmages and summer team camps, and "games" where there is no AP Arrow or the Table Officials are not very competent, such as CYO, youth recreational leagues, and AAU type tournaments in the spring. I have never used the Flip Switch whistle at an AAU or YBOA national qualifiying tournament or at the National Championship Tournaments themselves.

MTD, Sr.

It's right if I make sure it's set properly. And changed when it's proper for it to be changed. I normally have it in my head (especially in boys games where we don't have a lot of AP situations), but if I don't it's not the end of the world.

Image ??? Hell No, This Calls For A Video ...
 

I tried to resist, but two things made me post it. First, this is one of my all time favorite Saturday Night Live performances. Second, many of our younger Forum members have absolutely no idea what Freddy, and shavano, are referring to. Martin performed this skit on April 22, 1978. How may Forum members weren't even born yet? We all can be sure that Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. was alive. He was sixty-five years old, and ready for retirement, at the time of the skit.

Steve Martain- King Tut - YouTube

Where's chseagle When You Need Him ???
 

Just because this is the right way to do things in your little corner of the Buckeye State doesn't mean that it's the right way to do things in my little corner of the Constitution State.

Also, the table crew gets the "big bucks" to know the direction of the AP arrow. We just try to keep a "backup" available in case there is some type of problem at the table.

Company computers here at work block YouTube.
Pleeeze post an image.
"He hates these cans!"

And, Get Off The Internet, And Get Back To Work ...
 

Sorry, an image just wouldn't do it justice. "Goggle" it when you get home.

Talk about "Must See TV"!! Forgot how funny this skit was... Back when SNL was actually worth watching. :)

And it's wrong if you are distracted and don't look, if a partner changes it without your knowledge or if a chseagle takes it upon himself to change it when you're not looking.

Nobody is 100%, not even you. :D

Billy:

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one but, if you to any college supervisor, I am sure that you will find that they do not want their officials doing it. I also know a few Div. I evaluators, including Daryl Long, and they do not want officials doing it either. That said, as an instructor, an interpreter, camp evaluator, and college evaluator, I would surely tell the official of my concerns, but would let it go at that because I have more important things to worry about as an evaluator.

MTD, Sr.

Huh...do you also keep a pad and pencil in your pocket to keep track of the running score and fouls?

When In Rome ...
 

Agree on many levels. I don't officiate any college games, but I would hope that the table crew would do a much better job at keeping track of the alternating possession arrow than the high school table crews that I work with. Almost all that I work with rely on the actual arrow, and don't keep track of alternating possession in the scorebook. When a question comes up about the alternating possession arrow, and you ask the high school table crews that I work with when the last alternating possession arrow occurred, they look at you like you're speaking Greek. Also, this seems to be one of those, "When in Rome", issues. On my local board, we teach our rookies to use a whistle in their pocket, and all officials, including veteran officials, are expected to keep this whistle as a backup to the table arrow, in all games.

Is The Arrow Pointing The Right Way ???
 

No. The powers that be around here just expect us to have a backup plan for the alternating possession arrow. Although we do try to know when we're approaching the bonus, or "double bonus", to prevent the most common type of correctable errors.

I make sure that the scorer is keeping track of the AP when I have my pre-game.

Mark, I agree with you, but the fact is Billy isn't your target here. His little corner of Rome actually requires it. Would you have him ignore the instruction of his assigners?