End of game communication
 

Worked a VG game last night...H team is down 3, V team fouls to send H to line for 1 and 1 with 2.8 remaining. (good coaching move by the way). Girl makes first and H coach calls time out. We get together real quick, discuss lane violations and shot hitting the rim assuming he will have her miss the shot. We forget to discuss one thing...clock starting.

Girl makes second shot...V team throws ball away on the inbounds..H steals, shoots, misses, rebounds shoots and makes it to win. Place is going nuts since H team won...until we wave it off.

No complaints from H coach since it was clear it took more than 2.8 seconds and we were actually blowing it dead as the second shot went up..but lesson learned on things to communicate in that situation.

This isn't something that really requires a discussion -- the official responsible for the last second shot needs to look at the clock and ensure it starts. It's something I do regardless of my position on the floor.

C had tapped his chest before the first shot taking responsibility (opposite table) but I think it caught us by suprise that she made the second shot...we were all looking for a miss I believe. So we knew who had the clock and in postgame he admitted he blew it but if we had communicated during the timeout it might not have gotten overlooked.

Good post. So just a little home cooking by the table? Did the clock just not start at all or just really late?

Didn't start at all..when we blew it dead there was still 2.8 on the clock.

No home cooking here..it was a really good game and he just got caught up in the excitement.

Little background...this is by far the smallest HS gym in MT that I have seen. H team school enrollment is 26 (9-12) and I believe 23 of the kids are on either the B or G basketball teams. So the whole town is packed into this small..and I mean small gym and the girls have been pretty bad this year. For them to be in this situation had everyone..including the clock guy I guess...on the edge of the seat. It was a fun night!

Noisy gyms are the best. The old Craftsbury Academy gym in VT was replaced this year. Short court. Overhead obstructions. No division line. Restraining lines. Backboard affixed to wall. Great atmosphere.

enrollment is 26, how do they even keep the school open?

Except that if the ball is immediately in his / her area that official might not be able to do so.

Yes, if off-ball or if possible while on-ball.

Good old Montana!!

When I got here last year my first game was in that gym..the division line is only about 10 feet past the 3 point line and if you wear bigger than a size 10 you aren't shooting from the corners...and I was like "what hillbilly place do they have me in?" But after being in that atmosphere with the whole town there, loud, it wasn't the same when I went back to the big schools.

It is hard to explain unless you have been here but they have some really small rural schools in this area and they love their teams!

Fair comment.

Why not go to table and remind them to start the clock on your chop?

Had a situation several years ago. Tie game, visiting teams ball, had to go the length of the floor to win, 2.3 on the clock. Visitors last time out is called. I told the clock to watch for partners chop on inbound. What happens? time keeper starts clock as ball is handed to visitors. They throw long pass and the ball is deflected then recovered by visitors.

Now the home team sets up to avoid long pass and score and visitors lose in OT.

Good point...and will probably add that next time I am in that situation.

I really think the whole place was suprised when she made the second shot..just wasn't expected after he had just called tim out.

My first few years of officiating were in Montana. More cows that people in the two counties we covered and the gyms were always packed. Very few schools here can match the atmosphere created in those small gyms.

In retrospect, how much time are you estimating actually elapsed?

Good questions because 2.8 can be a "long" time. My guess is 4 seconds at least..steal, shoot, rebound, shoot.

At the end of the game, the entire crew should have awareness of the clock. In a fullcourt press situation, the lead needs to help as they usually have little to no pressure and can ensure the clock starts properly. If the clock doesn't start, someone needs to kill the game right away unless a shot is imminent. I think you did the best that you could with the situation (other than not talking about it during the timeout).

Recently I have had way more than I ever expected partners tell me when a team is down to 1 time out or none or when a player has 4 fouls. I try my best to tell that I don't care about this and that I don't want updates like this I get a funny look. Not sure about you guys out there but do any of you care about these pieces of information?

I'm still going to grant a coach a TO if they have none, and I'm still going to call that fifth foul if/when the kid commits it.

Better Than Uncorrectable Errors ...
 

I do like partners that remind me when a team reaches six, or nine, team fouls each half. I really hate correctable errors. Correctable errors, by definition, can be corrected, but it still looks bad, even after the error is corrected.

This is different and usually at the end of games (at least I have worked) we are already in the bonus. But this is just normal communication during a game. This thread has been focusing on "special" end of game type communications.

So as for the OP, what is the best way to handle the situation if the clock doesn't start properly. If they make a steal or a shot that you whistle dead, one of the coaches is going to be irate. Do you just reset the play to what it should be like as if nothing happened?

Nope. I always keep the time in my head in this situation and clean up the issue after the fact. No do overs. If in my count the score is good then count it, if not wave it off.

either way, there is a distinct possibility, that one of the coaches will be irate. That's the case in plenty of games we work.