Your worst call ever?

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by JWP

Eighth grade boys game between two rival schools. I am with a partner who was literally working her first (and possibly last) game.

If it was indeed her last game, that means 100% of all the games she ever worked went into OT.

I think I just passed out.

[Stat-Man]

In my first game... after telling myself pre-game I wouldn't be a ball-watcher, I end up ball-watching into my partners primary and see players fighting for control of the ball in the first half.

I blow my whistle for a held ball -- only to be told by my partner it was two players from the same team going after for the ball . I ended up calling a travel instead and wondered later if maybe I should have just gone with an inadvertent whistle.

At least the experience was enough to help break me of my ball watching habit.

[stiffler3492]

I'm gonna have to think about this one. I've done the wrong line thing before...on a backcourt violation.

I think there was one time, my first year, doing a middle school game. We let a kid shoot technical free throws at the wrong basket. Didn't realize it until after.

I once had a first year partner, might have been his second game ever. He had worked some football though. When a coach requested timeout, he waved his arms over his head. Couldn't help but give him a hard time about that one.

[Remington]

2nd game I ever worked. Boys freshman game (2 whistle) about 17 years ago. I was working with our local assigner and he told me before the game that he thought I would be a potential up and comer and he wanted to work with me to feel me out.

I called 5 seconds in the back court. I had a simultaneous whistle with my partner who was calling time-out. He closed in on me and asked "what do you have" and I said "5-seconds", he said "no you don't" and granted the timeout. During the timeout he politely explained you couldn't have 5 seconds in the backcourt..........which I knew, but allowed myself to get flustered. Then, about 5 minutes later the same coach was calling a timeout as a player was in jeopardy of getting a real closely guarded call and he was on the floor yelling to get my attention as I was too locked in on the play to notice him before he got onto the court. As I spun around to grant the timeout, I showed the "T" signal and he immediately sat down embarrassed. Once again, my partner came in and told everyone it was a time out and the coach looked up at me and smiled. He sincerely thought I T'd him for being on the floor and was mortified originally.

When I start getting arrogant about my officiating ability, assignments I receive, college conferences I get to work in (NAIA & D-II, not D-I) I think back to how much help I was given and how good the coaches really were to me when I was starting out. I will admit that I let my ego get the best of me at times, but it seems when I get that way, I run into a coach that gave me a shot or an old partner that tought me the tools to get to where I have gotten. I had a moment like this at our state tournament last week and this thread was my reminder once again that I am not nearly as good or important as I allow myself to think at times............

[Rob1968]

1968, Jr High boys game: great game, ends 77-78. Visitors' coach tells his kids to grab their stuff from the lockerroom, and get on the bus - they can change on the bus.
As I'm about to sign the book, the scorekeeper tells me she can't find the 78th point for the winning team. I send my partner to stop the bus, but he comes back and was unable to do so.
When everybody asks me what we should do, I say, "Who was the high point man on the team that we all thought won?" . . . "Give him one more point, and close the book." None of the coaches or players involved will ever know.