Flip 58 AP switch experiment

[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.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

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.

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.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

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.

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

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

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.

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?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

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?

No.

Of course, I worked a tournament a while back where the UIC tried forcing people to carry ball/strike indicators on the bases. I tried, like a good soldier, but kept forgetting to turn the wheels and stuck it in my pocket. If someone required it of me, I'd carry the spare whistle, but I'm not sure I'd remember to move it.

[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?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by fiasco

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

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.