Pick-Up Ball

[letemplay]

in a loosely organized 50-over pick up situation, where we have a local rec center court for us old farts reserved twice per week. We generally have to get some guys in their 40's to make 10, but that's what we do. When I first joined this group a few years back, I was one of the younger ones they asked to play, and experienced some resentment from the older guys. Now I'm one of the older ones, and while I can't say I like playing vs 20 somethings, I don't mind mixin it up with them young buck 45 yr olds!! The position I get in, since most guys know of my officiating background, I'm always being asked to rule on some play. Mostly my response is "are we playing, hs, college , or pro rules out here". All I have to do to get out of it is start spoutn off some rule differences and they roll their eyes and say forget it. Probably the most often debated call in pickup ball is the "self-pass"...prob cuz so many of us are capable of plenty of air balls!!

[Raymond]

I play twice a week at lunch on the air force base I work at and occassionally on Saturday mornings at the army post next to my house. Nobody around here ever argues for a travelling call when someone retrieves their own airball anymore. My next battle is to convince guys it's not boxing out and actually very dangerous to turn and back your butt into someone who is airborne for a rebound.

Soon to hang it up when my scholastic officiating season started but with my minimal HS schedule this year I've decided to keep playing.