Agree.

If the ball is out on the opposite side perimeter and there is a post up situation on the far side, the trail isn't going to be able to cover both and it is much more likely the ball is coming into that post than being skip passed to the other sideline such that there would need to be immediate coverage....and if there is a play the ball will take a while to get there and the trail can pick up a lot of them (if they're across the top).

I use it almost every game.

If a TI is from the T's FC sideline, and usually deep (3pt and below), then I start in this position.

If the T side has many players and/or the next pass is to the post and the T wouldn't have a good look at it, then I'm over.

I'm lucky in that I still have wheels, so getting back over to cover my sideline is not an issue.

Over the past eight years here, the one (the only) official I've seen use this mechanic, a guy from a nearby neighboring state assigned to a JV game in our area, would come across, then double up the observation on the competitive matchup outside near the sideline, a matchup the trail had anyway, viturally turning his back on the post matchups behind him. I wasn't impressed.

Properly, speaking, with the ball out on trail's wing and a competitive matchup deep in trail's post, when lead comes across, how far does he go? And does he turn his shoulders square to that post matchup like a three-man lead in a similar situation?

I'm starting to see the attractiveness of this. Like.

Wow! No wonder you didn't like the mechanic. Yes, the lead comes across the lane area extended similar to 3 person just far enough to get a good post play angle. We have been taught to keep shoulders square to the endline. Also, if the lead rotates back due to ball reversal, don't be too quick to "turn out the lights" on the room you are leaving.

I turn my shoulders, normally about 45 degrees, towards my sideline, when I cross. It reminds me that I need to go back. Also, I'm only there for the post, so turning my shoulders towards the post tells the trail that I am not looking at that outside matchup.

Watch old video of NBA games when they did 2 person. The lead was constantly ball side in the post.

I concur with this method.

One of the main reasons we are taught to keep shoulders square to the endline is to help widen our angle of vision to include a potential drive toward the endline (between 3pt. line and lane line) from the wing. The dribbler/defender are now moving away from the trail and into the lead's PCA. The lead must be able to pick this up without having to look over his outside shoulder. This would apply to 2 or 3 person.

I don't know about anyone else but I'd rather be out of position on a OOB play because I was refereeing two post players take may (or may not) kicking the living ahem *stuff* out of each other.

One of my favorite observers always said "Players can hurt us, the ball doesn't."

And BTW FIBA 2 person does want you to cross the floor as L and referee plays as the same side of the T when the play dictates.

It was said by a previous poster - 2 person mechanics and positioning is about compromise.

Good responses!
 

Due to the widespread and popular use of this mechanic outside our area, and given the solid reasoning and detailed explanations of those who responded, we will begin implementation of the Two-Person Ball Side Mechanic beginning at a rookies pre-season meeting tonight.
It just makes good sense.

I should get out more often.

Varsity is all three-person here. The newer officials doing sub-level ought to catch on readily. The veterans who do two-person--that might be a slightly harder sell, but will try. Those who've done three-person before shouldn't have much of a problem with it.

Thank you for your superb responses.

You'd Better Watch Out ...
 

Be careful. We're a predominantly two person state, and we've been using the ball side mechanic for as long as I can remember, but we don't introduce it to rookies (cadets). We don't introduce it until they have completed their first year, and only then do we introduce them to this concept. And we tell rookies (cadets) that they may see it if they observe a varsity game, but not to use it, and to concentrate on the more basic procedures in the two person game.

caveat dux
 

I will heed your warning and be full of care. Personnel tonight are not rookies but newer officials, each of whom has been well trained in 3-man already. I'll be judicious when it comes to the newbies later on in the month.

On the other side of the coin, they taught it to the rookies here and I started using it in my first games. I think both approaches have merit.

Isn't Utah going to allow this practice because of the changes this year by the NFHS?

Interesting, but my thought is that I'm not going over there to officiate the wing. I'm over there to officiate the post players. The players on the wing are still the trail's players, and if they drive to the post, he'll get the drive. If, however, there is a secondary defender involved, I'll have that since he's already in the post.