It's standard practice in your association but...my ultimate question would be why is your rules interpreter telling the association to do something that isn't part of the rule book? I know you gave a list of justifications but how am I supposed to trust an interpreter who tells me to do the wrong thing?

By that logic the official should also tell all the players not to foul or commit any violations. The official wouldn't then have to worry about any of those!

I Love It When Nevadaref Speaks Sarcasm ...
 

How about, "Let it hit the rim"?

When In Virginia, Do As Virginians Do ...
 

By all means, when in Rome ...

But your interpreter is 100% wrong, leaving the circle, which is always legal, is not holding your spot around the circle, I don't care how he spins it. As backward as we are here in the Land of Steady Habits (two person games, black belts, etc.), no interpreter around these parts would suggest any such standard practice, individual officials, maybe, but as an interpreter suggested mechanic, no way, José.

Soapbox Time ...
 

Less worries if we just flip a damn coin.

(I hope that Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. is moderating the Cricket Forum and won't read this. He gets a little testy when we discuss jump balls and would prefer to go back to prehistoric times when we didn't have the alternating possession arrow and had dozens of jump balls in a game.)

Yep, and "don't move" or "stay there" on a throw-in.

And, when is the referee "ready to toss"? When s/he (meant in all cases below) blows the whistle? Enters the circle? Asks the captains if their team is heady? If he is ready and then somone moves, can he "unready" himself and re-set or is it always an immediate violation?

There's no definition in the manual but I consider myself (or the tossing official) ready once the whistle is blown prior to the toss. That's a pretty good alert for everyone that we're about to get going.

Backcourt Endline Only ...
 

Maybe it's overkill, but our local interpreter has instructed us to indicate, "That's your spot", accompanied by pointing to the spot, or, "You can move" (Option: "You've got the whole line"), accompanied by a sweeping motion of the arm while pointing, on all backcourt endline throwins, and only backcourt endline throwins. Some will criticize that it's excess verbiage, and signalage, and not necessary, that the kids should already know this, but at least the statements agree with the actual rules. I believe that IAABO mechanics also require this, but I may be mistaken.

Blue Line All The Way Around ...
 

And, "Who's the speaking captain". Wait? I'm being told that that's an actual rule. Never mind.

So you never tell a player, "Get out of the lane!" or "Don't push!"?

It's called preventive officiating. You should try it. It works well.

I have no problem with saying these things if in conveys a message. The coaches and players are supposed to know the rules. And many things we do the players or coaches have no idea what is illegal. Just look at Nate Robinson of the Bulls multiple times violated as a jumper and moved and never tried to jump for the ball. It makes little or no difference to me as long as the comment conveys the right message. And telling players to "not move" is harmless IMO.

Peace

I worked a Pro Am game today. One of the players will be on a D3 coaching staff this season. Last week he was setting questionable rolling screens. Today, before the game, I went up to him and said, "I hope you aren't going to teach your big men that illegal screen this year." He laughed and said "oh, you caught that. It won't be a problem today."

Guess what, he didn't come close to doing today. Preventive officiating is a good thing.
:D

I think, as was pointed out, that this is basically preventative officiating. It's also a recommendation, not a direction that must be followed. Basically, the interpreter who runs the training class for new officials mentioned this as a good game management technique to get the game started without a jump ball violation (which is always preferred) if there is a lot of movement around the circle when you are ready to get started.

If you have players shuffling around the circle or into occupied space before the jump, wouldn't you say something? How long are you going to wait for players to get situated? Hold your spots around the circle accomplishes the goal and technically speaking, your not saying how long they are to hold the spot. So after saying this, players get situated, official blows whistle and administers jump.

Also, I guess if you leave the circle (legally) then you are no longer around the circle and thus don't need to hold the spot.

Probably Going To Have To Agree To Disagree ...
 

No, it's a bad game management technique because it doesn't match the rules. It's like telling players not to "move" on a designated spot throwin, which is wrong because they can move their feet within a three foot wide area, and can move as far back as they can in five seconds. Or it's like telling high school players to let it "hit the rim" on a free throw, which is also wrong because they can legally move into the lane when the ball hits the backboard, which could become an issue if the ball hits the backboard first and then subsequently hits the rim, and the rebound, and an easy putback if it's by an offensive player, is taken by the player who didn't listen to the officials advice and moved into the lane when it hit the backboard, leaving the player who waited for it to hit the rim wondering why his opponent was allowed in the lane "early".

Why put "legally" in parentheses? It's always legal to move away from the circle. It's never illegal to move away form the circle. And when a player is on the circle and leaves the circle he is not "holding his spot", no matter how you spin it. If one player follows your "hold your spot" advice and an opponent, knowing the correct rule, moves away early and gains an advantage, then that's just not fair, and as the player who didn't move watches his opponent go in for an easy layup and looks to you for help, then just what are you going to say to him? Sorry?

I have no problem with preventative officiating by talking to players, I'm just not going to say things to the players that are not factually correct.

NFHS Officials Manual, 2.2 PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY 2.2.2 C End Line 5. states ; "When the clock is stopped, use the proper verbal and visual signal to indicate whether a spot throw-in or running the end line privileges are in effect." - Signal 26 = Spot Throw-in, Signal 23 = Run End Line.

I haven't found an instruction to ask for the "speaking captain(s)," only the duty to conduct the coach/captain meeting, in 2.1 A Referee's Duties 10. of the Officials Manual.