Questioning Partner's Call

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Afrosheen

I had a play where my partner called a backcourt violation on inbounds where I thought the player catching the ball inbounds did not establish team control in the front court before going into the backcourt. My partner was the trail official, so I went up to him and asked him whether the player established team control in the front court. He replied by saying don't make this awkward and stop questioning my call. After the quarter I told him I was not intending to make this personal, I just wanted to make sure we had the call right. He then said that how could I have seen it better as Lead when he was on top of it as Trail. Granted he is still a fairly new official, but he acts very defensively and took this personally.

A couple of days later, I get an email with a veiled question of "what do you think of the first paragraph on page 307 in the Rules by Topic?" I returned, "what about it?"

He then writes: "Could you compare and contrast our situation with another of your choice to help me better understand why what happened Saturday was as you put normal of partners to do?"


The rule he is referencing is:



Now I'm wondering how to address this. I try to instill the value of working as a crew to get the call right. But now I'm not sure how to approach this situation and any further ones where I'm wanting to confer with my partner on a call.

I'm wondering how you guys apply this rule in your games?

I'm coming back to your original post. You've seemingly got two questions here. First, how to address his email. I would simply tell him that the rule itself is interpreted to mean you cannot overrule a partner's call. It does not mean you cannot approach a partner to discuss a call. If he's not receptive to feedback, that's another issue.

As for your final question, that's what we've been addressing. With rookie partners, I may expand my area a bit, but only to make calls that need made, not to talk them out of calls.

You talk about the integrity of the game, but let me ask, what do you think hurts the integrity of the game more?

1. Allowing a marginal BC call to stand that may or may not be wrong.
2. Destroying your partner's credibility by approaching him on a borderline BC call that, for all you know, is a difference in judgment rather than a rule error.

I know now, I think, why the coach was going crazy. He saw you going to approach your partner to question the call.