Flip 58 AP switch experiment

[shavano]

Trying out the Flip 58 for the first few games this season.. For those not familiar with this, it is a small piece of plastic with a 2 sided movable switch ( black for visitors, white for home) that fits on the underside of your whistle. It does take a little bit of the performance out of the Fox 40, but a little more air seems to do the trick.

I've tried the "whistle in the pocket" method, just does not seem to work for me to keep track of AP. Hoping that as I get more years behind me, knowing the AP status will just become natural. One of my goals for the season, ( small as it may seem), is to not have to look one time at table for an arrow check.

Wish me luck...

[Freddy]

Rather than that goal, try this:
Keep your head filled with other more important things, and don't look at the table every time.
Pregame it that the one facing the table when the held ball occurs glances at the table and gives an immediate direction signal. The guy(s) with back(s) to the table cue(s) off the guy opposite table.
It works well for us.
Lots better than always trying to keep personal track of whose possession it will be next time.
Just an idea.

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Don't look at the table every time.
Pregame it that the one facing the table when the held ball occurs glances at the table and gives an immediate signal. The guy with his back to the table cues off the other guy. It works well for us.
Lots better than always trying to keep personal track of whose possession it will be next time.

What is the solution for the OP if there is no AP arrow at the table?

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by chseagle

What is the solution for the OP if there is no AP arrow at the table?

. . . there must be a device indicating AP direction at the table.

When there wasn't a lighted device, I've had the table use a shoe even. Also a water bottle. One time a PhyEd pylon.
There's gotta be something, by rule.

[Scrapper1]

I have no problem with using a device to keep track of the arrow. But I do think it looks much smoother if you don't need to check your pockets before signaling the direction of the held ball.

One trick I heard at camp was to remember the arrow as you're counting. For example, when you have a backcourt 10-second count, instead of counting "1 one-thousand, 2 one-thousand. . .", try counting, "1 red arrow, 2 red arrow, 3 red arrow". This has actually worked great for me. I can still take a quick peek at the table to make sure I have it right if I need to. But when a held ball happens, I've beaten the arrow into my memory so I don't have to check the table or my pockets or the switch on my whistle.

As far as having an arrow at the table, I read a story (I think it had to be on this website a long time ago) about an official who used to carry a child's stuffed animal in their equipment bag. It was a toucan, with a long beak. And if there was no arrow at the table, he would leave the toucan at the table to be the arrow. There were jokes about having to "flip the bird" after every held ball.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

There were jokes about having to "flip the bird" after every held ball.

Nice!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

I have no problem with using a device to keep track of the arrow. But I do think it looks much smoother if you don't need to check your pockets before signaling the direction of the held ball.

Here, in my little corner of Connecticut, as opposed to the entire State of Connecticut, that I can't speak for, because I don't know what the other parts of the State do, we have to, by local mechanics, keep a whistle in our pocket to keep track of the arrow. We've been doing this since the introduction of the alternating possession rule. It's become so second nature to me that I don't have to actually physically "check" my pockets. Since I never keep anything else in my pockets, I can just "feel" the whistle in one pocket, or the other.

Now, I will admit that it would look a lot "smoother" if I didn't have to change the whistle after each alternating possession. This is an easy switch at the beginning of a game, but as the game moves along, and gets more intense, and I start sweating, it's gets harder to get the whistle out of one sweaty pocket into the other sweaty pocket.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by chseagle

What is the solution for the OP if there is no AP arrow at the table?

There must be one. So your question is moot.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Rather than that goal, try this:
Keep your head filled with other more important things, and don't look at the table every time.
Pregame it that the one facing the table when the held ball occurs glances at the table and gives an immediate direction signal. The guy(s) with back(s) to the table cue(s) off the guy opposite table.
It works well for us.
Lots better than always trying to keep personal track of whose possession it will be next time.
Just an idea.

This.

Only one official -- the one facing the table -- looks at the arrow after an AP. He/she signals. The other mirrors, if necessary / desired. Nobody turns a back to the court to look.

I'm only concerned that the arrow be set properly. And changed properly after an AP situation. But memorizing its status at all times? Not really necessary, IMO.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

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, ) 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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Do not use the whistle or whatever item you want to use from pocket to pocket method. It does not look good. We are paid big bucks to know the direction of the AP Arrow.

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.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

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.

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.

[fiasco]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

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.

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

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Rather than that goal, try this:
Keep your head filled with other more important things, and don't look at the table every time.
Pregame it that the one facing the table when the held ball occurs glances at the table and gives an immediate direction signal. The guy(s) with back(s) to the table cue(s) off the guy opposite table.
It works well for us.
Just an idea.

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.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

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.

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.