It's 3 fingers in NFHS mechanics.

I had a partner do the same thing. i asked him at halftime about and he said he learned to ref in Texas and that is the way he was taught. I asked him to signal the 3's and he said OK.

Maybe once upon a time but that is not the current teaching.

We have been told here that the lead should signal the 3 pt attempt, but not signal the made shot. Only the trail signals the make.

No. The attempt is 3 fingers, the make is second hand up and full hand.

Did the L also have a whistle on the play? If not, then I don't see how signalling it after the fact adds anything. Better, I think, would be a voice "good call, Bob."

NCAAW does sometimes want "confirming whistles" on plays just outside your primary and where you're going to give it up to the primary anyway. It might just be a way to try to stop the "oh we had a double whistle so I'll put my hand down right away" mechanic which does look bad (and which I do all too often).

When in Rome, but that's not the book mechanic.

As T, I don't look to my partner regarding the shot until it is made. Until then, I've got other things to be looking at. I expect to to see the "good" signal. If not, I don't have a signal.

Agreed. All we are doing as T is helping relay the information to the table.

Big ups to Billy Mac
 

That's what we've been told in my little corner of west of the Mississippi but east of the West Coast.

I rarely signal for a made 3pt basket as the Lead. Just out of habit from doing mostly 3-man. I put my hand with 3 fingers up on the attempt and then drop it once the shot is clearly missed or made. I will leave it up for a second if I can sense table or partners are looking to see if it was indeed a 3. It has never been an issue but if my partner, the table, or powers that be made it an issue then I wouldnt have a problem adjusting.

The problem I see is usually the other way around. Too many sub-varsity officials ball watching and signaling for 3s on shots way out of their primary.

Pick A Corner, Any Corner ...
 

Amen. +1

I guess I won't complain anymore about partners mirroring from Lead.

Neither do I, but when I would look at him his hand would be on its way down. I had to sneak a peek at his signal while the ball was in flight to verify if he signaled a three-point try or not. Obviously that made me look away from my PCA which is bad.