Game Management
 

Much of goes on in a game regarding making the call or not depends on alog of issues., Our school system runs girls and boys Bball at the same time. Any suggestions on how to call a basketball game and discuss it during pre-game as in a 3 man crew when:

1) Doing boys HS Varsity a top 3 seed team versus bottom 3 seed of 12 teams.
2) Doing girls HS Varsity a top 3 seed team " " '

I personally rather not ref a girls game but neither does anyone else. Suggestions be helpful.

Pretend you don't know anything about the seeding and just call the game.

jmo

I think it depends on the coach and players. They might know they'll have a tough or easy game. You know the coaches.

But in general,

Don't miss travels on either team (perhaps on one team more than the other) and don't miss frustration fouls (perhaps on one team more than the other).

You may get more blocked shot or plays close to a GT/BI. Be alert on these plays with an explanation ready. Prep communication with coaches.


That's what I've had coaches mention, if the do say anything at all, in these types of games. They just want to know that you called a fair game.

I'm just curious why this would be something you'd consider significant. I could see something like "protect the shooter", but why do you think getting all these is important to this type of game?

When in Rome....

Around here, it's expected that some marginal stuff gets overlooked in favor of the team getting it handed to them. One of the most consistent and early critiques I received was, "That was a travel, but you might want to let it go in this game."

So you're working a girls' game. Think this attitude comes across to any of the players or coaches? Just thinking maybe you're setting yourself up for some issues before the game even starts.

I hope not. I try to hide it as best I can, myself.

Just mentioning that it the games I've done that match the OP, the losing coach complained about the winning team traveling a lot. He could be insinuating that the supposed "travels' make it difficult for his team to compete.

It's likely going to go in the other direction if it's a blowout. I may have to adjust my traveling filter if one team can't bring it up the floor without traveling - otherwise, we'll suck whatever life there is (and if it's a huge blowout, probably litte-to-none already) right out of the game.

Yes - for some the travel filter for the losing team may be lightened.

But where are traveling complaints going to come from? The coach winning by 40 isn't going to complain if the losing team travels. I'm just saying that a losing coach won't say much to you if you don't miss the winning team travels. (Assuming this isn't the rare game with zero travels.)

I see what you're saying now. Another game management lesson I learned just last week which I'm still thinking about - we had a team getting beat by about 15 in the waning minutes of the game, and I was working with 2 very respected college officials. Game was going fine - no issues with the officiating. With under a minute left, I was new lead in transition on a breakaway for the team that was losing and the lone defender was very athletic and playing excellent defense all the way down and was able to get great position as the player stopped and jumped for a 3 footer that missed. The coach was up wanting a foul and is in my C's ear. There's a stoppage for a violation and the coach is asking me why there wasn't a foul and I just tell him it was great defense. Game ends.

As I'm walking to the dressing room with my partner, who was the C getting an earful, he says I might have just called the foul at that point in the game. It wouldn't have affected the outcome and the coach would be content. I told him it wasn't a foul. He said that coach never gets up and complains and he was up in my ear and a foul would have prevented him from getting upset and it wouldn't have hurt the game. Game management.

I get what he said, but I'm still thinking about it. He's a big dog in the association. While it shouldn't matter, it still does.

This lack of integrity is appalling.

I disagree with others because I think knowing where teams are ranked or conference standings can be very good to know. However, this is informational only and would give you an idea that a contest may be more meaningful or vital in the standings to the teams involved. You would never alter how you referee or do anything differently based on this information though.

If that contact/no contact was on film/video, what would it show?

If it clearly showed no foul, and said coach watched it with you, how would he react? If you ask him directly, "do you want me to contravene my integrity and call a non-existent foul?", what would he say?

I think, after the fact, he would be fine, but I don't think that's the point. I think the point was it was a heat of the moment kind of thing that could have been diffused with a call. A game management tool. This was the takeaway I was supposed to get from it.

Could it have been a foul in another game? Maybe - there was contact. Would it have been a foul at any other time in this game? No.

A double-edged sword of sorts. Consistency, or satisfy a coach. I guess you have to decide what fits in your local group.

That's why I am still thinking about it. But there have always been things I have had to compromise on as I've moved up in any association. I really do get his point - it's just not the mindframe I'm used to being in.

For what it's worth, I think consistency is *always the point*. That's just me, though.

17 years ago when I first went to camp, the camp leaders (then college ball officials and now national and international officials) had us in groups to discuss the issues from non-officials angles. The two elements that each group came up with were consistency and communication. When a good friend of mine went to camp 10 years ago, the same conclusions were met. Now that I train my local board inexperienced officials, I asked them about their recent camp experiences. "Consistency and communication" were the two elements stressed. Guess what? 10 years from now it will be consistency and communication.

So what did he expect you to do, call a foul after the coach started complaining? How are you supposed to know that the coach would get upset over that play? Or was there contact on the play and you passed on it? (I see now that you said there was). I'm assuming there were other plays where the crew passed on contact and you say you had a game where there had been no issues with the coaches, so how are you supposed to know this one play would trigger something?

I see where your partner is coming from as far as learning a game mgmt tool, but I have a problem with the way he presented it, as if you were supposed to know that all of a sudden this one play would cause a problem.

Good question. I think he was irritated that he had to take the brunt of the coach's emotions. As I said earlier there was minimal contact that would not have been a foul at any other time in that game. If anything, the defensive player, who was faster and more athletic, had great position and it was the offensive player who created any of the contact. During the game, there were definitely more calls made against the losing team on drives to the basket because they were not nearly as athletic and able to control their bodies, so they would often be late defending and foul as a result. This play was just another case where the winning team was more athletic and able to maintain good defensive position and not foul as a result.

Just received an email listing the representatives from our association who have been assigned to the state tournament and this guy is one of the three on the list. So that certainly gives him some credibility. That's a pretty big honor in these parts...

While I can understand letting things go just a little bit in favor of a team getting shellacked... I can not justify what you were told here - to call a foul (or violation) where one doesn't exist.

Replies appreciated still seeking.
 

I get the general opinion when in a blowout game and issue being fair consistant and pecisehen making the tough call versus no call or making a mercy call when outcome has no bearing. But its evaluating the entire game in hindsite for that fair and consistant ending that begs me to frame a solid pregame, half and post the next time. Yes Im looking for that perfect pre mid post and during the game communication where the entire crew is in sync start to finish without philisophical, style or personality imbalance. I believe it can happen it s hould happen because its for kids players fans and the game.

Consistency? I have consistency in a blow out game...the player of the team losing breaks away for a 3 ft. jump shot...there is some "contact"...

I have a foul...almost always...what is NOT consistent with that? ;)

Listen to your "big dawg" Smitty.

Having said that and having read a lot about wiggle room and such, in this forum, newer officials should BEWARE!

I tell newer officials to just call the game. Call what they see. In my experiences...when I have tried to explain some of these "philosophical" principals that we have been discussing here...the officials' eyes glaze over and they end up not knowing if they should call a foul, travel, 3 seconds, enforce the box, etc. or when they should or should not call said violations and fouls.

I totally agree with Smitty's "big dawg's" philosophy.

But, you better have some credability and experience before you get too comfortable using that philosophy in a game situation.

Here's my question: Since he was the C, was he in position to call it late?

If he wants to do that then explain why he did it afterwards, especially as a senior guy, that's on him. As was mentioned before, if there hadn't been any problems up until that point there's no way for you to know there was going to be an issue.

Thanks for that.

Your Welcome, "Big Dawg"...

My welcome what? ;)

List
 

So, Smitty, were you on the list?

Post of the week.

Adam:

That philosophy works well at the JrHS levels and below when the skill level of players on both teams are all over the spectrum. But at the FR level and above (as well as highly skilled JrHS games) a travel is a travel is a travel.

MTD, Sr.

I do like to look at the paper or online to find out some background on teams before games but I look at this as information and preparation and try my best to not pre-judge what kind of night it's going to be.

This week I had girls games on back to back nights. The first game I was at a school where I have had crap games the 2-3 most recent times I'd been there and based on their opponent thought it would not be that competitive a game. I look up their record online and see they are having a better season than in years past but still wasnt expecting that much in terms of level of play.

Turns out it was a very well played game that came down to the last possession. Good rhythm and flow throughout, on same page with partners, great energy and atmosphere in gym. One of my more enjoyable games this year.

Next night, I have the defending state champion at home against a team that had only lost once all year. Both ranked in the top 20 in the area and highlighted in the paper as one of the games of the week. Ended up being an awful game. Visiting team couldnt throw it in the ocean in the 1st quarter, both coaches were whining all game, no flow, just a very disappointing game compared to what I was expecting.

Point being, info is always good but you should never let preconceived notions of how a game will go affect how you will officiate because you will often have a different game than you expect.

And game management is never something that I worry about pre-game. Let the game come to you. I see game management as a skill acquired with experience. Once a game becomes lopsided on the scoreboard or you notice a situation you know you need to take care of then handle business accordingly. But it's something I would never worry about prior to tip off or discuss in pre-game. Half time or between quarters is a different story.

And as for boys and girls games our association handles both and you work what you get. Honestly I do prefer boys games and I get about 70-30 boys. But at the end of the day, I just want a good game with good partners and will take a good girls game over a bad boys game any night of the week. The way it works here (for the most part) is that if you prove your worth on the court, make yourself available, and conduct yourself professionally on and off the court, you will get the better games and for the most part the one's you prefer to work.

No. Apparently I'm not one of the top 3 in our association of 400+. But I'm working on it.

When in Rome, Mark. When in Rome.