fess up
 

With the season winding down, I was reflecting on some games and thought about my worst call/non call for the year. Hands down, everything a distant second, this has to be my worst call in several years.

BV, as new lead in transition, A1 driving to basket on breakaway, B1 catches him and fouls him before he can get an attempt off, I blow whistle he takes one or two more dribbles and makes layup. I half heartedly bang it home, count the basket and we're shooting one. Just horrible. Coach surprisingly didn't complain that much nor did crowd. It just sucked, I don't know why I did it and knew the second I did, it was the wrong call. Really a tough conference where I just get a handful of games and always get pumped up with the assignments.

There I've said it.......what say you?

I have an entire doubleheader on a Friday before Christmas I'd rather forget even happened. I was working with the subvarsity assignor in my chapter and the varsity assignor and chapter secretary were both observing.

I made numerous mental mistakes, missed some very obvious fouls and as a crew we lacked any kind of consistency. Admittedly, the level of play was not very good either but I let my officiating fall to that level instead of rising above it.

In the back of your mind did you think that maybe B1's foul was an IPF?

MTD, Sr.

Pull The Head Out!
 

GV about three weeks ago. I'm tossing at the beginning of the game, we have a new ref and this will be his first 3man varsity contest. I toss and the ball is immediately tied up just outside the circle. Neither partner whistles the held ball, so I quickly put my whistle in my mouth and blow. Show two thumbs up and say let's jump it up again. Original jumpers get back in position and I toss again, game gets started. During a timeout in the first quarter I hear a "psst" behind me, look over and see my friend, state tournament ref. I walk over and he quietly asks me if I know what I did wrong. I smile and say you mean the 5 fouls I've missed so far? He says no, on the second toss you blew it! Right then it hit me, *&^&* *(&(&*( *&*(&)(* I was supposed to have the two players that tied the ball up jump the second time! Poop!!! I've read about that situation on here about 10 times and passed the test question on this each time, but the first time it happens to me in a game do I remember? Dang that can ruin your day!

First JUCO game of the year I had my first ever blarge & it was my fault (C) although I still believe I had the right call :cool:

For me, it was last Friday, hands-down.

Situation: boys 10th-grade/JV doubleheader, between two of the best programs in the Twin Cities.

The ominous signs first appear on Tuesday, when I email my partner to confirm the details of the game time and location. I receive a one-sentence response: "I show up dressed and on the court, so don't look for me in the dressing room"

Gulp.

Partner shows up about 9 minutes before tipoff, leaving us virtually no time to do a pregame.

Double Gulp.

The first game is very fast-paced and physical... the second game is a step above the first game in both respects... both games were faster then I'm used to, and I was having a very hard time making calls because of the speed and athleticism of the players. I never could get into a good rhythm the entire night, and it seemed to be painfully obvious to everyone in the gym that my partner and I were outclassed. I lost count of the number of instances where there was foul-level contact that I "passed" on because I couldn't get the whistle blown or couldn't figure out what to call. (and before you say "not all contact is a foul"... this contact was definitely a foul... I just kicked it... more times then I can remember.)

I was never so happy to be done with a doubleheader as I was that night.

Luckily, I got to get back to the gym on Saturday with another boys 10/JV doubleheader. The games was just as quick and athletic, but I was able to keep it in control, and my partner was MUCH MUCH better.

I just wish I could figure out what I could've done differently on Friday.

Since It's Time for True Confessions
 

Partners and I have been totally nailing every game, both V and sub-level this whole season...then IT happened.
Boys' 2-man frosh game, 5.3 seconds to go with team down by two with ball OOB needing to go the length of the floor past the defense who has been hacking away all game long up to this point. Break at a timeout to review coverage with partner -- good to go.
Ball inbounded. As trail, I'm responsible for throw-in under pressure; defense guarding the potential receivers of the throw-in; dribbler maintaining inbounds status while dribbling and tightroping up the sideline past both benches with screaming coaches; keeping an eye out for a hack-prone defensive team potentially hammering the guy all the way down a picket fenceline the length of the court; the fall-away, out-of-control three-point jumper with the shooter falling backwards out-of-bounds after release, the defense with a hand up in the shooter's face; the clock; and the horn.
Only lost track of one thing. With the scoreboard on the opposite side of the court, I had no visual awareness of the precise time elapsing, only the count in my head. The fans and the bench were screaming so loud the last thing I could hear was the horn.
Shot somehow swished through; gym goes nuts. Home team yelling "It counts! It counts!" Visitor players signalling, "No good! No good!"
I "thought" :confused: it was good, but sure would've liked to be able to give a 100% sure ruling, as time shifted immediately afterwards into slow motion.
Hoping my partner could be of some definitive assistance, I dart over to where he was on the other side of the court at the low post with nothing whatsoever to do while all this was going on. A kind of blonde-deer-in-the-headlights look accompanied his response, "Go with your first inclination--I couldn't tell for sure; it was out of my area."
I did and banged it "Good!"
:eek:
The parents running after us into the lockerroom might have been a clue. The AD successfully body-blocked them from chasing us down. He, we, and the retired AD in the lockerroom shared our amazement over how close it was.
Anybody detect one further step I could have taken for confirmation which I forgot to do?
Signing the scorebook signed for the JV game, the timekeeper, an alumni from back when I used to play, remarked when asked about it, "I wished you'd have come to me. It was close. But it was no good." :(
Lessons learned registered in notebook. Measures instilled so as to prevent likelihood of that happening again.
Recovered nicely from it since then. But it still serves as a memorable blip on the screen of an otherwise great season.

Sometimes the most important benefit of a pregame is the process of getting us into the proper mindset for a game. Yeah, you go over various things that need to be addressed; double whistles, OOB lines, blind spots, etc. But you've also mentally prepared, which is just as important as warming up your body.

There's an old saying that it's better to get to a level a little late than too early. Do you feel like you, personally, are ready to be working games like this?

That said:

I've worked boys games involving some of the top teams in the state -- most all of those are worked 3-person. I frequently show up early to watch the sophomore (essentially, the JV) game that's played before us. Worked 2-person, those games always look a lot harder to work from the stands than the varsity games feel from the court.

Of course, about 6-7 years ago, we worked those varsity games 2-person and while I felt I had no problems with the pace, it was just a lot of running up and down the court and getting the fouls we felt we needed to get.

If you feel you missed a lot of fouls, that can lead to the perception that the game got "out of control." Sometimes getting those fouls can slow down the pace of the game and clean up the activity. Sometimes not, in which case you'll be shooting a lot of free throws.

The lack of a pregame sounds and your reaction to it makes it sound like it pushed you out of where you needed to be mentally to be on top of the game early. Don't let your partner distract you (if possible) from being strong and aware early in the game.

That said, you crawled back on the horse -- it's all you can do.

So....this was an NBE game? :rolleyes:

100% agree... earlier last week I was late getting to a game site due to a work emergency at my "real job", arriving 16 minutes prior to tipoff while still needing to change clothes. I had no time to mentally prepare, and I could tell my game suffered for it. Luckily, it was a 9th grade game, so nobody really noticed. :)

My standard is to arrive 40 minutes prior to tipoff (most of my partners show up about 30 minutes early, so I'm usually the first to arrive). That gives me time to change, clear my head of any 'regular day' distractions, stretch, and pregame.


Yes, I do feel like I'm ready. I had an off night but I know I can handle that level of play in general.

Looking back, the tone was set early... my partner passed on several rough play instances in his primary in the first few minutes, and I think I ended up with the brain block because I got stuck in "he didn't call it earlier, can I call it now?" mode. I won't let that happen again.

Agreed. And this particular partner's name is certainly in my "not blocked, but strongly prefer not to work with" list.

IMO, anyone who consistently shows up that soon before a tip disrespects the game of basketball, the teams about to play and their partner. They make us all look bad. These are the folks that should find another avocation.

True Confessions ...
 

Everybody: For your penance, you all must watch Nicki Minaj’s Grammy performance three times..

You heard the horn...
 

...and saw the shot go in, made a judgment about what happened when, and call it "good". It would have been great to have exactly what you wanted, but it sounds like you did an awesome job.

Then...
 

...I'll skip confession.

BV several weeks ago. Let's just say that "side out" is not "timeout" :(

Been there, done that! "Side out" should be an immediate technical on the head coach!

I had two five out calls in one game with a third about to be called after I checked to make sure he wasn't signaling for a TO...damnedest thing ever.
Then had them the next week, everyone joked about five out and I made sure they made a visual signal along with time out.

And still, the coaches don't change the name of their plays. Somehow, this is *our* problem or fault.

In addition to the "side out" one (which I haven't screwed up yet, although I've come close several times).... I once had a coach who was yelling "30.... 30.... 30...." as his team was bring the ball up the court. The ball got stolen, and the other team made an uncontested layup. The coach then got made at me because I hadn't granted him the timeout. Go figure.

Here's a case of excessive tunnel vision that sticks in my craw.

JV boys, regular season finale, I'm the trail. Second quarter, H-32 is driving, but runs into a couple of defenders who have LGP. I have nothing. He loses the ball, which rolls out of bounds, and he follows it. A frustrated H-32 pounds the wall padding, and my partner has the T.

The kid pounds the padding so hard, that a 4'x3' paper sign ("We Love Our Seniors") falls to the floor. I am so fixated on and slightly amused by the stupid sign, that I forget to freeze what's in front of me, and I miss H-32 pulling his jersey out of his shorts in frustration. Coach V wants another T, which I should have called, had I not assigned myself to clean up duty.

H-32 is pulled from the game by his coach, never to return (school rule). After the game, the home A.D. thanked us for not whacking the kid a second time.

"He got very lucky," I replied. "He created one hell of a diversion!"

Why?

Other than the two games I tanked, my one solitary big screw up this year was granting a TO to the wrong team in a tight game. Fortunately it did not affect the game.

Had an OOB call that I know went the wrong way. I even signaled the tip before I gave the ball to the defense. Coach questioned it as I ignored him.

First chance I got, I fessed up and told him I just flat out got it wrong. He smiled and said, "I was just confused."

My Confession(s):

I whacked a player the other night for saying, "C'mon man" after I called a foul on him. Of course it wasn't necessarily for the comment...as much as the gesture (palms up looking at me as he spoke) that got him.

The coach wanted to know "what he said". I told him, but stated that it "wasn't as much WHAT he said as HOW he said it".

He wouldn't let it go. He said, "I have to know WHAT HE SAID so I can tell teach him not to SAY THAT."

I had already told him. Now I started to get "HOSTILE"...(my wife's words, as she was in the stands watching)

I suppose I did get somewhat "flustered"...(alternate's words, at the table)
because I kind of yelled back at the coach.

I haven't been questioned about these types of T's for awhile...so I guess I did kind of lose my cool.

I will commit to getting back to my old self...and just calmly explain unsporting actions.
(Something the coach can teach as well);)

At least we administered my blarge quickly and correctly..
 

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Were you the C or the L?

UGH! Glad that one is over....
 

I had a MS Girls playoff game that I called one bad foul early in the first, could not shake and never got in sync with the game. Both coaches were not happy. The crowd was complaining and going crazy.

In the 4th quarter, a pass/shot went from the lane line near me across the court. I had a shot that was blocked, but my partner called it for B ball OOB on the sideline. I go to him tell him I had a blocked shot. He says your call. I then make the call pointing the other way. (Which I know that he should be the one to change the call, but it is a 2nd year official I am working with.)
After the game, another official from our association told me that I screwed the pooch. The player who got the ball on the sideline had stepped out trying to save it (which I didn't see a player touch it on the sideline). My P never told me this, he just said, "its your call".

The game was a one possession win for the visitors and I felt after that game that I cost the home team the game, but in the end they had 6 shots to try to tie the game in 20 seconds and couldn't make any of them. I finally shook that feeling later that night knowing that I didn't cost them the game. The better team did win in the end that night.

I was glad I had a game the next night to get this one off my back.

Center official that jumped in on a signal wayyyy to quick!

My Turn ...
 

I had a bad non-call early in an early season boys varsity game. I'm trail, standing right in front of home coach. Visiting player gets an offensive rebound near the block on my side of the lane. My partner is now on the weak side, I know that he has to look through players to make a call, so I take a step toward the basket to get a better look at any possible fouls. No illegal contact, but, with my peripheral vision, I get a half-a-look at some "odd" footwork by the visitor player, I wasn't sure that he traveled, so I didn't make the call, and the visitor player made the putback "bunny". The home coach had the same look as me, and yelled, "Travel". Didn't swear. Didn't incite the crowd. No technical foul. I immediately knew that I had missed the travel. I was too close to get a good look at the player's feet. I've regretted that non-call all season long. I know that it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it just sticks in my mind, and as McMac stated, "(I) could not shake (it) and never got in sync with the game".

Last night, boy's sophomore blowout, neither coach said a word...of course I go and screw something up!

A1 makes a basket, and Coach A wants a timeout, but B1 already had the ball ready to inbound. Of course I blow my whistle without being patient. I say my fault, but Coach A still wants the timeout anyway.

Silly me.

How did you feel about that call?

Depending on the timeframe, I would likely still grant the timeout if the thrower-in had just corralled the ball.

It was close, that's for sure. Next time that happens and it's that close, I'll probably give him the benefit of the doubt.

Mea Culpa
 

This was a good no-call, but I almost wished I had.

Just banged H team dribbler for a PC foul, using his arm to contact and push off the defender, right in front of H's bench. I had "the slot", and it was an easy call. Coach remarks, "That was a good call, now just make sure you call it on the other end."
Sure enough, I'm new T on the very next play going the other way. Just before I cross the division line, with the dribbler about 12 feet in front of me right in front of the V bench, I note what might have been contact by the dribbler in the exact same fashion as just previously on the other end. This time, however, I didn't have "the slot"--all I had is the back of the dribbler. Though working to get the slot, from that position I saw nothing. If there was something, a strong C didn't catch it. I "think" I knew what "might" have happened, but wasn't going to guess.
H coach just about had a conniption (sp?) fit.
Oh well. :o

What do you mean "anyway?". Once you blew, you have to give it to him.

I know that. Here's how the conversation went:

Coach A: Timeout

Me: *Whistle* "Oops my fault, B already had the ball"

Coach A: Well, can I have it now anyway?

Me: You sure can coach.

So he got it before me having to explain a little known rule.

Gotcha

+1

For Your Penance ...
 

Ten Hail Marys. And spit shine your plumber's helper.

Snaqs,

Gotta give you props. Thanks for asking this. It made me dig into the book (NFHS 10-3-6h, specifically), and check with an interpreter. Indeed, removing of the shirt (or shorts) is a technical foul. Merely untucking it is not a T; it's just grounds for removal (and that kid was going out anyway).

Does this mean I have to fess up to something else?

Well, The Sport Does Involve A Ball ...