Calling in your primary vs. "Crew savers"
 

This coming season will be my first as a varsity official; I got moved up over the off-season (*bows elegantly). One of the truisms I've been told is to make sure I stay in my primary and let my partner take the heat if he passes on a call. I've also been told that crew savers become even more important at this level. So I'm looking for the wisdom of the group about differentiating between "letting your partner twist" and coming to get one that "has to be gotten." I know that game situations will have a lot to do with it, and that there are two schools of thought: Some say get the call right, politics be damned and others say "He or she is a big boy or girl and can take care of him or herself." I'm hoping to form some guidelines based on you folks' experiences. I don't want to step on toes.

The key is trusting your partner had a better look than you did, not letting him twist so much as trusting his judgment.

The crew saving plays become more important but less common.

Hopefully that didn't come off as bad as I think it did. I'm just quoting what advice others have given me. But I definitely see your point.

If you are calling outside of your area remember the "Three Be's"

1. Be Late

2. Be Right

3. Be Needed

Big Dawgs
 

When I'm calling with a "big dawg", I use Adam's advice and trust his judgment. On those occasions when I feel like I'm the big dawg, I'll go and get those calls I feel need to be gotten. I think it's all about your partners' status verses your status when making those crew saving calls.

I know that might not sound right to you but that is my opinion?????

I call my primary hard. Trust my partners to get what is in their area. If there is some overlap and I have a good look, I call what I see. You know like a center calling a spin into the lane across from you. If the look is clean and I see someone do something that needs to be called, I make a call. Like Adam said, very few stuff is game saving or so bad that you have to call something your partner completely missed.

Peace

What About The 400 Pound Pink Elephant In The Room ???
 

From my pregame conference: Stay in your primary. Seldom should we have four eyes on the ball. It must be obvious to come out of your primary. If something is there that really needs to be called, call it.

Some, on this Forum, regarding this issue, have used the phrase, "Don't call the ants. Call the elephants".

Other metaphors? Felonies and misdemeanors; and apples and oranges. Wait? I'm being told ... What? Doesn't apply? Just elephants and ants; and felonies and misdemeanors.

A wise old sage in our association uses this as part of his pre-game: "If there's one out of your primary that really bites ya in the balls, go get it".

It's hard because one person's "crew saver" is another person's "fishing in someone else's pond"

Ay, there's the rub.

I'm thinking minding my own bidness will work best for me for a while...

Feel Out Your Partners ...
 

Three words of advice: Pregame, pregame, and pregame.

I think, as Billy notes, you could listen in pregame and follow the lead of your partners. If the R, in his pregame, emphasizes your primary, follow that lead. If he emphasizes coming in to save the crew, follow that lead.

If you can't tell, lean towards sticking in your primary unless you see a kid commit a felony.

Rookie Umpires Are To Be Seen And Not Heard ???
 

Fourth option? I don't know what things are like in your little corner of the woods, but around these parts, umpires are encouraged to ask questions during the pregame. If that's the case in your neck of the woods, then how about, "So? How do you want to handle calls outside of our primaries?".

I'm the "ant/elephant" guy but JRut said something key in his post: call what needs to be called. If there's something outside your primary that was felonious in nature that needs to be called AND you waited but didn't hear a whistle, call it. The coach of the team it went against won't be thrilled with the whistle but if it's a "Stevie Wonder could see it from the last row" type of call he'll also know you were right, as will your partner(s).