First Technical - Anticlimactic
 

I got my first tech in the 6th grade, but I gave my first tech after an a very close OT that literally ended in the last seconds. (JH Boys)

The opposing coach (dominant private school, winning all game) had a great attitude until the very end when he didn't like one of my calls. He told my partner and I our calls were BS in front of both teams while they were shaking hands. Correction, he was yelling above the fray while they were trying to shake hands. He had primed the pump by saying a few times that we couldn't do anything as the game had already ended. We were by the scorers table and clearly hadn't left the court, much less the area.

The book recorded it, but really it doesn't make a ton of difference since our JH league is the "wild, wild, west", as has been discussed on other threads. I doubt anything will happen even if the tech is reported.

Why were you still on the court? Get to the locker room and you avoid situations like this.

Even if there's another game behind your 6th grade game, clear off the court and wait until the participants for the next game come out before returning. There's no reason to *ever* put yourself in position to take cheap shots after the final horn.

I worked a game a few weeks ago and the JV officials brought the game ball into the locker room after their game ended. I looked at it like it was a turd and asked them how they could get the ball as they were ignoring it and leaving the court? A few seconds later, the AD arrived (with a disgusted look on his face) and retrieved the ball from the JV official.

Unless you live in MA where you are required to supervise handshakes, jog off the court on the final horn -- anything that happens after that not directly in your visual path is not your problem.

I went to watch the local conference championship game last night, and the officials took the ball with them when they left the floor. I've never seen this before, but it sort of made sense to me.

One reason I thought they might have done it, was so that the winning school could have the game ball from the conference championship game. Or, maybe since there was no game behind them, it was just to make sure that the host school got the ball back.

Even if there was a game behind them, it would make sense (to me at least) to hand off the game ball to the next crew. I don't see the big deal. It's almost the same as leaving the ball at the table, and the R could drop it off at the table when he goes to check the book anyway.

Or maybe it's just me.

I work underlevel games, and especially after the first game of a doubleheader, sometimes my partner will be at center court after the final buzzer supervising handshakes. I feel that it would be wrong to leave him there by himself, so I go stand next to him.

I've never had an issue as in the OP, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Even in games where we don't go to the locker room at half, and have to retrieve our jackets before going to the locker room, I try to sneak around the back of the benches, grab our jackets, and get out of there.

You said this was a close game that ended in the last few seconds. Was it so close that the T on the coach would have resulted in free throws that could have changed the outcome of the game? If so, you would shoot those.

If you aren't going to the locker room at halftime, don't wear your jackets out for the pregame. There's *no reason* I will *ever* put myself in a position where I have to stick around after the final horn.

And yes, I'll let my partner out there alone if he wants to stay out there. And give it to him when he gets back to the locker room. Better yet, discuss this beforehand. Tell your partner you are leaving on the final horn to get a drink and rest for a few minutes.

Why would the officials *ever* give a **** about the basketball or who gets it? It's not my ball -- let game management or the home team corral the ball. Nobody's going to let the ball get away.

On the horn, I'm *gone*. The only thing that exists at that point is the *door*. Trust me, it only takes one incident to teach you that the hard way.

I don't know, I was just guessing at why they did that. Maybe on his way out, the ball bounced in front of the official, and he just happened to catch it and just took it out with him.

Yup. If my partner wants to stick around, change his shoes, check his cell phone and shake everyone's hands that's his prerogative. I'm not sticking around.

In that case, I'd catch it and drop it or run around it. *It's not my ball.*

Another thing I do is take my whistle off at the horn as I'm running off. Nobody's going to grab me by the lanyard that way.

(In the old days, Earl Strom would take off his belt and wrap it around his hand in case he ever had to knock someone out who physically accosted him. Times have changed, but some things remain the same.)

Rich, whats that all about?

I have worked in tournaments where we've been asked to take the game ball to the locker room for the next game.

But other than that I'm not concerned with the ball. If a player tosses it to me I will quickly look to see if there is someone from the home admin to toss it to safely. If not, then I'll just drop it where I'm at.

So no one can run up on you and snatch you by the lanyard. In fact I often tuck my whistle in my shirt during full time-outs and between quarters.

BNR I'm aware of that, I was talking about the part that was underlined... running off the court :confused:

If its not a heated EOG situation with fans rushing the court & I'm not embarassed by the job I just did, then I'm proudly walking off the court.