Syracuse-Indiana clips(s)

[BayStateRef]

There are a lot of important lessons here for me. Judgment does not just "happen." It comes from a lot of experience, a lot of plays and a willingness to always learn. For those who judged this a travel in real time, the video affirmed that call. Just because it is close is irrelevant. It was a travel and we need to learn the judgment to call it that way every time.

For those who thought it was not a travel, the video proved you wrong. That is another lesson. Video review helps a lot. Get videos. Break them down. Be tough on yourself. For most of my high school games, there is no video. But at some gyms, the local cable stations do a major production...with multiple cameras and their own replays. These videos are excellent.

I had a late season game this year where each coach (and a lot of fans) did not agree with calls. One was a travel. The player lifted her pivot foot before she started her dribble. The video confirmed that my call was correct. I shared it with other officials...and every one said they saw the same thing on the video. But I assure you not every one would have made the call in the game. It was close...but that is no excuse to be wrong.

The other call was 5-seconds closely guarded...with about a minute left in a 1-point game. The video showed it was 6.5 seconds. My count was 6 when I called it....so my count was off by one-half second. I deliberately waited until I got to 6 before making the call. You can rightly question that judgment. The coach couldn't understand how I made that call at "this time of the game." I couldn't understand why his point guard didn't pick up her dribble. The defense was outstanding. I am supposed to ignore that?

Then there was the out of bounds play I got wrong. I did not see a deflection. Everyone else in the gym did. As I watched the video, I kept trying to figure out how I missed it, how I should have moved for a better angle, how I should have noticed the ball change direction (it was slight, but it was clear on the video.)

I am uncomfortable with those who say because it is close, we shouldn't make the call. We are responsible for getting the calls right -- even the close ones. We are expected to see if the foot is on the line or not and rule accordingly. We need to constantly learn how to be better....positioning, recognition, rules knowledge, hustle. They all matter. But so does the recognition that getting a call wrong is not a sin nor a reflection that we are bad officials.