Questioning Partner's Call

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Coach Bill

I agree with almost everything you said. I concur - not everything is up for debate, and if you don't have definite info then no reason to confer. I don't know if this situation calls for help or not. I wasn't there. The MSU game video shows the officials conferred on a backcourt violation and got the call right.

I am not sure which MSU game you are referring to, but the one I can think of where they were in Ann Arbor, the call was not changed. And it was not changed because the calling official saw the entire play and ruled a dribble took place (I might have to post the video).

Originally Posted by Coach Bill

Was that done by a person looking outside his area? I don't know but it was handled professionally. Sounds like Afrosheen didn't have "definite" info and thus apologized later. So, probably not a sitch to confer. But, I gotta disagree that you think it has nothing to do with professionalism. E.g., if you see a ball tipped prior to going out of bounds, that your partner didn't, and he's about to give the ball to the wrong team, i think you have a professional responsibility to confer. His choice to change it...

I guess I am missing the "professionalism" angle you are taking here. I do not see talking to each other or not talking to each other less or more professional. Whether we discuss a play is more procedural based on mechanics, then professionalism. If you do not see something or you are not in position to see something, that does not mean you are unprofessional not to confer on something you did not see or when you trust the judgment of your partner. I rarely have to confer on anything when I have good partners that do their jobs.

I was at a meeting tonight where a Final Four official was the main speaker and in his opinion the reason he was where he was is because he "minds his business" most of the time. He was talking about not taking over games and making calls for his partners. He is about as respected an officials as anyone in the country and he feels he should let his partners work. We are all put on the game for a reason, if they cannot do their job it is not my job to save them or to ask them "Are you sure?" every time there is a close call. Basketball officials do not confer on foul calls unless we have a double whistle (and even then we agree or let our partner take the call), so why would we confer on other calls where someone sees the play completely in their primary? Maybe I have a different idea of professionalism.

Peace