Pre Tip Off question

[ODog]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Seriously, you have to put numbers in the book for AAU?

On occasion, sure. A lot of tournaments require each team to supply someone for the table (book/clock), and that is often hard enough ... never mind how long it takes or how little the anointed individuals know about their unwanted duties.

When the train must keep moving, sometimes you need to grease the wheels.

[PG_Ref]

Reading some of these responses has been quite interesting. In these parts, we don't lower the expectations for M.S. games. The expectations are the same as they are for H.S. games. I guess "when in Rome ...".

[Rich]

I filled in on a MS game 3 years ago at the last minute.

I showed up the way I always do. With a bag and dressed nicely. The only change I made was I showed up 30 minutes before game time instead of an hour.

There was nobody in the gym and the gym was dark.

When someone finally came along, they couldn't understand why I needed a room to change. "All of our refs come dressed to ref."

Le sigh. Not even sure I checked the book, come to think of it.

That said, I had fun that day once we finally got it going. My partner, BTW, showed up dressed with about 90 seconds left before game time.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich

I filled in on a MS game 3 years ago at the last minute.

I showed up the way I always do. With a bag and dressed nicely. The only change I made was I showed up 30 minutes before game time instead of an hour.

There was nobody in the gym and the gym was dark.

When someone finally came along, they couldn't understand why I needed a room to change. "All of our refs come dressed to ref."

Le sigh. Not even sure I checked the book, come to think of it.

That said, I had fun that day once we finally got it going. My partner, BTW, showed up dressed with about 90 seconds left before game time.

Around here, for MS games it's quite common (and accepted) that officials show up dressed (this goes for basketball, football, baseball, softball, and volleyball - that I know of). In many cases, the game times are scheduled such that officials with normal jobs cannot make them early enough to change at the site.

And honestly, the "arriving 90 seconds before tip" happens at that level way more than I'm comfortable with. I do remember working one MS football game where I was the only one there at game time --- coaches said start it up (there were 3 games that night) so I did - with assistant coaches working wings. Partner one showed up about 5 minutes into the first quarter; partner two just after the 2nd quarter started.

Varsity and JV (all sports) - officials do it "right"... Freshman and MS, not so much.

[zm1283]

The biggest school district around here (One of the biggest 2-3 in the state) plays its MS games at 3:00 right after school. It's an accepted practice for officials to go dressed to these games. Back when I first started, I showed up with my bag, not yet knowing that we usually went dressed. Those are the only schools that I know of where we go dressed.

I coach junior high football in the fall as well. We had at least two games this year where only three guys showed up and the fourth would roll in just after the game started. I've done a MS basketball game before and showed up dressed very late (10 minutes prior to tipoff), but I can't imagine showing up to any game after it has started.

[CountTheBasket]

Originally Posted by zm1283

The biggest school district around here (One of the biggest 2-3 in the state) plays its MS games at 3:00 right after school. It's an accepted practice for officials to go dressed to these games. Back when I first started, I showed up with my bag, not yet knowing that we usually went dressed. Those are the only schools that I know of where we go dressed.

I coach junior high football in the fall as well. We had at least two games this year where only three guys showed up and the fourth would roll in just after the game started. I've done a MS basketball game before and showed up dressed very late (10 minutes prior to tipoff), but I can't imagine showing up to any game after it has started.

It is acceptable to show up dressed 15-20 min before a MS game where I transferred from, (never did them here in VA), the only issue with that is if right in front of you on the way to the game C1 crashes into B1 (see what I did there)? and you're stuck detouring, you may very well be showing up after tip. That is the one and only reason I make it a point to attempt to arrive 30 min before tip off, expect the unexpected.

[johnny d]

Originally Posted by ODog

On occasion, sure. A lot of tournaments require each team to supply someone for the table (book/clock), and that is often hard enough ... never mind how long it takes or how little the anointed individuals know about their unwanted duties.

When the train must keep moving, sometimes you need to grease the wheels.

In an aau game, I could not care less whether there are names and numbers in the book. In fact, I don't really care if there is someone there doing the book. As long as there is somebody there to push the start button on the clock, the table is good enough. We would never delay the start of the game for a book keeping issue in an aau game. Whoever decides to do the book can put the numbers in on the fly.