Things Officials Should Probably Not Be Saying In A Game ...

[Sharpshooternes]

Originally Posted by Rich

Some of us do what we're expected to do in our areas. All I know is that jumping straight to strict implementation of the RPP could be considered a career-limiting move in many areas.

I'll give an example from my repertoire of mess ups. Sophmore mens game, time out. First horn we both go to respective teams and Say first horn, Second horn same thing, then we go to our spots, both teams are slow to come out. Defense makes it to the floor maybe 10 seconds after the second horn. Inbounding team is still slow. I place the ball on the floor and begin the 5 count and this of course gets their attention and we get underway. Second half same thing, this time it is my partner administering but the offense is ready to go and the defense is still in the huddle. After more than sufficient time he gives a solid blast on his whistle and gives the ball to the inbounding team. Of course they get an easy bucket and the other coach is obviously livid.

Did we follow the ROP procedure? Yep we sure did. Did we inform the teams? Yep. Did what we did help make the game smoother. Hell no. From this experience, I have learned after discussing it with the peeps on this forum that preventitive officiating in this case is very improtant even if it isn't necessarily backed by rule. Now, if they don't break that huddle on the second horn I am right there hollering at them that the ball is coming in and will get in the middle of the huddle if I have to.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Sharpshooternes

First horn we both go to respective teams and Say first horn, Second horn same thing, then we go to our spots, both teams are slow to come out. Defense makes it to the floor maybe 10 seconds after the second horn. Inbounding team is still slow. I place the ball on the floor and begin the 5 count ...

Sharpshooternes: It seems that you forgot one important step, sounding your whistle.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I disagree with you that these have no rules basis or that they cannot be used.

We're what you call experts and we should be using the correct terminology. And many of these, with the possible exception of the earrings, are not factually based on the rules.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

We are not giving rules clinics.

With the exception of the earrings statement, I never said what officials should be saying, I just said that we shouldn't be saying these. Sometimes silence may be the best statement.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I get asked often on a throw-in by a player, "Can I move?"

My two possible answers, "Designated spot", or, "You have the whole line", either accompanied by the appropriate signal. Both statements are 100% correct by rule. "You can't move" is never 100% correct by rule.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Travelling Man

*If I could add to your List:

1. After the timeout has expired and the horn has sounded to resume play, some refs shout to the benches "let's play ball" or "break up the huddle".
Is it really part of our job to "usher" the teams back on court by shouting such or blowing our whistle several times to make them resume play?
Lately, I have begun to just stand by the ball at the point of inbounding and slowly and dramatically starting a 5-second count. Usually a player sees this and runs out to inbound it.
So, that's what I add to your List: "Refs should not be ushering the play to resume when there are horns and assistant coaches to fulfill this function--it's not our job", correct?

No, not correct.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by just another ref

I do it, but I find this to be, for the most part, useless.

Most of the time I find it useful. There's usually an assistant coach who pays attention and will start telling the HC to get them out.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

My two possible answers, "Designated spot", or, "You have the whole line", either accompanied by the appropriate signal. Both statements are 100% correct by rule. "You can't move" is never 100% correct by rule.

I tell players they can back up.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

We're what you call experts and we should be using the correct terminology. And many of these, with the possible exception of the earrings, are not factually based on the rules.

Yes we are experts, but we are not talking to experts.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

With the exception of the earrings statement, I never said what officials should be saying, I just said that we shouldn't be saying these. Sometimes silence may be the best statement.

So you are silent when you see them in the lay-up line and then when the first time they come out with earrings or tape over their ears you say nothing until everyone notices? Now you have sent a player off the court that cannot play until the issue is taken care of and then you involved the coach for the first time. This again is about communication. If you say nothing they might make a scene. And this is not usually a 2 second conversation either. I also did not say that this is all you say.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

My two possible answers, "Designated spot", or, "You have the whole line", either accompanied by the appropriate signal. Both statements are 100% correct by rule. "You can't move" is never 100% correct by rule.

Most players have no idea what you mean when you say "Designated spot" or what that means they can or cannot do. So saying that and expecting them to know is silly to me. Sorry, but that is beyond silly. Now I say to a player that can move around the end line, "You can run the endline" as that is how they know move along the end line and usually how they ask a question about their ability to do so. Saying "Anywhere along the line" is silly to me when we are trying to communicate to them.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

So you are silent when you see them in the lay-up line and then when the first time they come out with earrings or tape over their ears you say nothing until everyone notices?

I never said that. This is what I said:

Originally Posted by BillyMac

"You have to take out your earrings" (instead of "You can't play with earrings").

So when a player passes by me, in the layup line, with earrings, I say ""You can't play with earrings". I'm not telling them that they have to take off the earrings, I'm just telling them that they can't play with the earrings. After that, I don't care what they do, but they're not playing with earrings. This is a long time local "mechanic" based on some liability issues, and I have no problem if others state this directive differently, i.e., "You have to take out your earrings".

This was the only statement on my list where I indicated a better statement. I purposely did not suggest better statements for the others.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Most players have no idea what you mean when you say "Designated spot" or what that means they can or cannot do.

Agree 100%. However, they do know what, "Don't move", means, and that statement is not factually correct based on the rules. They can move either, or both, feet anywhere within the three foot wide designated area. They can move one foot to the left side, or to the right side, of the three foot wide designated area, as long as they keep one foot in the three foot wide designated area. And they can move as far back as they can, taking as many steps as they want to, in the five second time limit. Spin that anyway you want to, but that's moving, so why would anyone, not necessarily you, tell a player that they can't move on a designated spot throwin?

"Hey Mr. BillyMac, you told me not to move on my throwin a few plays ago, so why did my opponent get to move a few feet on a that last throwin? Why didn't you blow your whistle?

Also, I had to T up a coach this past year because he wouldn't stop complaining to my partner, who, as the administering official, let a player "move" on a designated spot throwin. The coach kept saying, "But he can't move". My partner tried, and I tried, to explain the movement limitations on a designated spot throwin, but he wouldn't accept any of that, he just kept saying, "But he can't move". Eventually, I had to tell him to, "Sit down".

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Travelling Man

I have begun to just stand by the ball at the point of inbounding and slowly and dramatically starting a 5-second count.

I hope that you preceded this with a sounding of your whistle, a very loud sounding of your whistle.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Travelling Man

Issue is morphing into another esoteric debate.

That's how we roll here. Get used to it.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Travelling Man

Thus, we can make a list of 99 such items, but they will continue to be practiced.

If I get my interpreter to approve this article, and I'm pretty sure that he will, I guarantee you that, as the law of the land, these false statements will be banished, and that we won't be hearing these statements from all but just a few officials here in my little corner of Connecticut. I can see this being presented to new officials every year, so that they don't form any bad habits, as some of us old-timers have, unfortunately, already done.

[Travelling Man]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

That's how we roll here. Get used to it.

*Now that is great advice Billy Macs!
3 officials standing side by side and looking up in the sky. A passer by asks: "what color is the sky?"
Official 1 says "blue"
Offical 2 says "gray"
Official 3 says "azure"
Guaranteeed! lol