Why are we treating this different then any other violation? And it is not ticky-tack, it is obvious.

This is the same age of kids that knows how to download files better then their parents and we think they cannot handle what not to do on a throw-in?

Peace

I think you have to read the game to know. Some times they should know better, sometimes they're barely able to hold the ball. At those levels, you have to call the game to a level that they specific players in the game are ready for.

I do not disagree, but this is a basic rule. I do not think you need to treat this any different then other violations if obvious. If it is borderline I get maybe passing, but not if it is obvious. Then again I work almost none of these games so it is not a big deal to me. I just do not see why this is so special. When I worked these games I had no problem making this call. It usually did not happen again after a call.

Peace

The Wacky World Of Seventh Grade Basketball ...
 

Since you don't work these games, you have no idea what goes on in them, especially early in the season. In my area, seventh graders in Catholic middle school play in what is known as a "junior varsity" league, which can include kids that have never played organized basketball before. In that first week of play, and often into subsequent weeks, after a score, the new offensive players will often look like a deer in the headlights, and will look to me, as the new trail, for guidance. I just wave to them and tell them take the ball out of bounds. Sometimes it's due to them waiting for the "designated official inbounder" on the team, who, at the time, may be on the bench. For kids who transition from playing basketball on a Little Tikes six foot basket in their back yard, to playing organized five on five basketball in front of a crowd, the rules can be very confusing. The coaches do the best job that they can in the couple of weeks before the season, but it can still be confusing for some kids, especially those kids on the end of the bench, who probably don't get a lot of reps in practice, but according to league rules, have to play in the game.

Actually Billy I have worked those games often over my career. I even did an IESA (the only state Elementary State Organization in the country) Sectional a few years ago. So yes I have worked these games and did so often. I just do not do them now and as a regular part of my schedule because of other opportunities I have gained over the years. And yes, I have called similar things in the past when the opportunity was there. I just do not think this is one of these "It is junior high....." crap that people love to say that should be so drastically different. It is a violation. Yes you see goofy stuff at that level, but I do not see why officials treat it like we have to teach them everything by stopping the game. I have worked football with much younger kids in some cases and we call everything that needs to be called and those rules are a lot more complicated. Basketball how hard is it to know the ball has to be throw-in out of bounds? Sounds simple to me.

Peace

Different Strokes By Different Folks (Sly And The Family Stone) ...
 

I already knew that, which is exactly why I used the present tense in my recent post.

It's not junior high, it's middle school, on top of that, it's low level (seventh grade, refereed to as middle school "junior varsity" here) middle school. And I can't speak for others who posted that a do-over might be warranted, but if I'm going with a do-over it will only be early in the season, and early in the game, and won't be afforded to the kids who appear to know what they're doing out there, just the confused, "deer in the headlights" kids.

We're "stopping" the game if we go with the violation (which I have no problem with), or going with a do-over. I'm not ignoring this play, I'm sounding the whistle, "stopping" the game, and going with either a violation, or a do-over. This play has to be addressed, either with a violation, as you suggest, and as I suggest, depending on the circumstance, or a do-over.

In the original post, not sounding the whistle, and not "stopping" the game, is simply not an option for me. On the other hand, if the kids are just standing around and looking confused, then I can, hopefully, use hand gestures, and some simple verbal directions, to get them to do it the right way in less than five (a very long five) seconds.

It's 7th grade basketball. Blow the whistle as soon as they grab ball and tell the player what to do. IMO we are not only enforcing the rules but coaching a little bit in the younger grades. I've never had an opposing coach get upset for helping out on a play like that.

Sorry Billy, regardless of whether I agree with the rest of your position (I do), this part is just silly. 7th grade is 7th grade, whether you call it Jr. High, Middle School, or high school. Many places refer to it as Jr. High, many call it middle school. To quote the old Gordman's commercial, "IT'S THE SAME THING!"

Not that I would get on anyone either way, but the players would get just as much out of you calling a violation or doing it your way.

I agree, and I probably approach this the way Billy does. To be honest, I'm more likely to just call it in 7th grade. If I'm doing some younger stuff, I'll be more likely to coach. I am not, however, there to coach. That's why they have coaches. I'll work with the kids a bit, but honestly, in most 7th grade games in my area, the players are not in their first year of basketball.

I have never had a coach go nuts when you call a violation (against the other team). Most coaches are yelling for something anyway and like it when you call things. After all, they think it is the NBA and everything that takes place must be called.

Peace

The school that I attended was called Edison Junior High School when I started 7th grade. Soon after I left high school, they moved the 6th-8th over the high school and they still call that (Town name) Jr/Sr High School. Not sure what the heck he is talking about? Never even referred to this age level as middle school. And I have enough sense to know it is the same thing, but never called it that way.

Peace

I had a coach yell at me last week because I called a back court violation ... on the opposing team. :confused:

A1 is in her front court and decides to make an uncontested drive to the wrong basket. As soon as she crossed half court, I whistled the violation but nobody stopped. I blew the whistle again more emphatically and that's when Coach B voiced her displeasure.

Boy would that be a quick discussion, probably egged on by a sideways look from me. Or, if I'm feeling particularly annoyed, "So, you want me to ignore an obvious violation so you can gain two cheap points?"

They may know how to operate an IPhone better than I can ... but many of them have managed to make the A-team, and after 3 weeks of practice still don't know they can't dribble with both hands, or they can't stop a dribble and then dribble again.