"That is my partner's call."

[JRutledge]

Do people find this comment to be seen as throwing your partner under the bus if you say this to a coach? Or do you see this as a way to explain a call that you are not directly involved in?

An email got me thinking and I want opinions from others.

Peace

[Raymond]

I've had supervisors who say they don't like that statement.

They prefer "that play was right in front of my partner" or "I didn't get a good look".

They feel that saying "it was my partner's call" is the equivalent of saying "it's not my call/area" and means you saw something obvious but decided not to blow your whistle. (of course this applies to no-calls, there are no discussions if my partner actually makes a call).

[dahoopref]

I tend to tell coaches:

"(Partner's name) is right there and had the best look at it."

"(Partner's name) will tell you what he saw (or didn't see) as soon as he can."

Saying "that's my partner's call" to me means that you are in disagreement with the call. A coach can sense that and will use it to divide the crew.

[just another ref]

I prefer not to mention my partner.

"I can't call that from here." or "I'm not looking way over there."

[Maineac]

In my opinion saying that could be taken by a coach to mean, "I agree with you, I'm not the one who called/didn't call that." I prefer "He had a great look, he was right there."

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by just another ref

I prefer not to mention my partner.

"I can't call that from here." or "I'm not looking way over there."

I usually state this positively instead of negativiely: "I was looking at xx and xx" (be specific).

[jeremy341a]

I agree with what has been said. When I coached I hated the "I can't call that from here or that isn't my call" That always made me feel like I saw it and choose not to call it. It also made me feel they were selling their partner out. I much prefered the "i'm didn't see it as I'm not watching that area.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

I usually state this positively instead of negativiely: "I was looking at xx and xx" (be specific).

I like this too. Of course it also depends on what the complaint is about. Coaches usually complain to the official that is nearest, no matter what. What can you possibly say when, as lead in two man, the coach is screaming at you about the ten second count? Sometimes there is no substitute for a shoulder shrug. Or, better yet, a brief, incredulous look.

"What is this strange, coachese language which you are speaking?"

[tomegun]

Originally Posted by dahoopref

I tend to tell coaches:

"(Partner's name) is right there and had the best look at it."

I know this is something that some officials say, but how does the official that makes this statement know this? I personally put this in the same category as an official that says "Coach, we are going to work hard for you tonight" during the pregame conference.

My personal preference, but I don't say either of those things simply because I don't know that either one of them will be or are true.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by tomegun

I know this is something that some officials say, but how does the official that makes this statement know this? ....

Well, in a 2-man crew that would be easy to know

[DLH17]

Originally Posted by tomegun

I know this is something that some officials say, but how does the official that makes this statement know this? I personally put this in the same category as an official that says "Coach, we are going to work hard for you tonight" during the pregame conference.

My personal preference, but I don't say either of those things simply because I don't know that either one of them will be or are true.

I understand what you are saying, and don't necessarily disagree with it. IMO, it's still better for the crew for each official to "stand up" for our partners during the game, even if one or both may be guys we have never worked with in the past and/or know very little about.

Telling a coach "my partner does a great job of getting into the best position to see plays in his area" shouldn't be a stretch for each of us to convey, esp at the varsity level. If it's not necessarily true, the coach will find out for himself soon enough when he gets his 10 seconds of Q&A with your partner(s).

At that point, we have to let our partners live and die with their call.

[icallfouls]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Do people find this comment to be seen as throwing your partner under the bus if you say this to a coach? Or do you see this as a way to explain a call that you are not directly involved in?

An email got me thinking and I want opinions from others.

Peace

I can see where other officials would say this is throwing a partner under the bus. I think it does single out the calling official and brings more focus on them.

Short reply: "ask Rut"
Long reply: "ask Rut, it was his play, he can answer your question"

[fullor30]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Do people find this comment to be seen as throwing your partner under the bus if you say this to a coach? Or do you see this as a way to explain a call that you are not directly involved in?

An email got me thinking and I want opinions from others.

Peace

Ha, got the same email.

Since it's the heat of the moment and a coach wants to vent at the nearest official, I usually say, 'Coach, he had a better look than us( nicer than "hey, I have the same s"#tty view you do"), you can ask him when he's over here.

Later, invariably, coach has moved on and never asks partner. Psych 101 to me.

Answers will vary depending on coach's attitude.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by fullor30

Ha, got the same email.

Since it's the heat of the moment and a coach wants to vent at the nearest official, I usually say, 'Coach, he had a better look than us( nicer than "hey, I have the same s"#tty view you do"), you can ask him when he's over here.

Later, invariably, coach has moved on and never asks partner. Psych 101 to me.

Answers will vary depending on coach's attitude.

I have used, "Coach, I didn't have any better look than you did, I'd only be guessing."

It worked for the moment.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

H.S. basketball coaches do only one thing, and that is watch the ball and only the ball; if the ball goes ten rows up into the stands they are watching the ball and only the ball.

99.999% of all high school basketball coaches have absolutely no concept of Primary Coverage Areas. H.S. basketball coaches do not know nor do they care to know about PCAs and the fact that more than 95% (and that figure is my educated wild a$$ guess, it could be higher) of the time one official is watching ball and one official is not watching the ball in a two-man officiating crew.

I have absolutely no qualms telling a coach that I was not watching the ball because it was not in my PCA and if my partner did not put air in the whistle it means he did not see any infraction of the rules. Telling the coach that your partner had a better look at the play than you tells the coach that you were watching the ball too. I know where the ball is but I am not a ball watcher because I have enough problems watching for horse manure happening in my PCA.

The principal behind three-man crews is to have two officials watching the ball at the same time in certain situations. And still PCAs prevail meaning even with three officials, only one official should be looking at the ball and the only other person looking at the ball will be the coach.

I remember many many years ago when Penn State had just joined the Big 10, Bobby Knight was still the HC at Indiana, and we had not gone to rotation mechanics for three-man crews. Indiana was at PSU and there was a sideline throw-in late in the game and it was a close game (I can't remember who was making the throw-in but it was near the Division Line and an IU player got loose for what should have been a break away layup but a PSU player grabbed his jersey (a definite IPF, now a Flagrant 1 PF). There was no foul call and Sam Licklighter (from Ohio was the closest official) took a tremendous amount of heat from both Knight and the press for not making the call. If one had taken the play and drawn the coverage on a black board, the officials covered the play exactly has it should have been and no one would have been in a position to see the foul if they had run that play one million times. It other words, doggie do do happens.

MTD, Sr.