Transitioning 3-man to 2-man crew.

Here are some tips I have picked up for summer ball to conserve energy and not move as much. Take them as you will.

Report from a distance so you don't have to switch
Walk up the floor as Trail whenever possible
Jog from T to new Lead, but start walking once you hit the FTLE
As Lead bring all endline throw-ins that go out between the extended lane lines to your side
Sit down during timeouts when possible
Speed up putting the ball in play when possible
Don't chase the ball, have the players do it
Administer the ball from a distance when appropriate (i.e. not during a press)

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Here are some tips I have picked up for summer ball to conserve energy and not move as much. Take them as you will.

Walk up the floor as Trail whenever possible
Jog from T to new Lead, but start walking once you hit the FTLE
As Lead bring all endline throw-ins that go out between the extended lane lines to your side
Sit down during timeouts when possible

Things are a little different around here. I have always looked at how I perform during summer ball as not much different to how I perform during the regular season. I hustle, I put the ball in play where it's supposed to be put in play, I would never sit down during the game. If you accept a game and you're getting paid, you should do the job. If you don't think it's enough money, don't take the game. I'm happy to only work for an assignor who expects this of everyone. It burns my a$$ when my partner walks down the court. I realize I'm in the minority here, but that's just my own philosophy.

[Raymond]

In summer ball I will continue to hustle. I almost always work no more than 3 games in a day. The most I'll work is 4, and there has to be at least a one game break after the 2nd or 3rd game. I refuse to work any amount of games that would cause me to be so tired as to walk during transition.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

In summer ball I will continue to hustle. I almost always work no more than 3 games in a day. The most I'll work is 4, and there has to be at least a one game break after the 2nd or 3rd game. I refuse to work any amount of games that would cause me to be so tired as to walk during transition.

Same here. Even when I was younger and could run all day, I still couldn't stay focused beyond 4 games. There's no way anyone can work 6 games in a day and do a good job in game 6.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

In summer ball I will continue to hustle. I almost always work no more than 3 games in a day. The most I'll work is 4, and there has to be at least a one game break after the 2nd or 3rd game. I refuse to work any amount of games that would cause me to be so tired as to walk during transition.

I hustle as well, but we do not switch and do the dead ball stuff the same (switching, mechanics movement, substitution procedures). That is usually to cut time out of dead time because the clock is moving. Otherwise the running from one position to another is practically the same.

Peace

[Nevadaref]

I don't work the summer AAU circuit around here for one simple reason--the organization refuses to pay the officials enough. During the regular season, the two-man fee is $60 and 3-man is $50 for varsity games (plus a travel fee), yet during AAU tournaments the organizers want the officials to accept $30 & no travel fee for a two-man game which is stop-clock and the same amount of playing time as a HS contest (either four 8-minute quarters or two 16-minute halves). Why? Because they wish to put the rest of the money in their pockets!
My answer is to not work those events until they become willing to pay what has been established by the high school administrators and the association leadership to be a fair fee.
Sadly, I frequently see people trying to work six or seven games per day at these tournaments. They are stupid and don't realize that if they refused, the tourney would have to raise the rates in order to attract more officials and they could make the same amount while working far fewer games!

Note: my comments apply to AAU games involving players of HS age. I don't care what they pay for little kid games because I'm not interested in officiating those. To me that's not basketball, it's babysitting.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I don't work the summer AAU circuit around here for one simple reason--the organization refuses to pay the officials enough. During the regular season, the two-man fee is $60 and 3-man is $50 for varsity games (plus a travel fee), yet during AAU tournaments the organizers want the officials to accept $30 & no travel fee for a two-man game which is stop-clock and the same amount of playing time as a HS contest (either four 8-minute quarters or two 16-minute halves). Why? Because they wish to put the rest of the money in their pockets!
My answer is to not work those events until they become willing to pay what has been established by the high school administrators and the association leadership to be a fair fee.
Sadly, I frequently see people trying to work six or seven games per day at these tournaments. They are stupid and don't realize that if they refused, the tourney would have to raise the rates in order to attract more officials and they could make the same amount while working far fewer games!

Note: my comments apply to AAU games involving players of HS age. I don't care what they pay for little kid games because I'm not interested in officiating those. To me that's not basketball, it's babysitting.

I'm amazed that locally AAU games pay $20 and people that assign act as though that's a great deal. It's a key reason I simply don't work summer basketball unless I'm going to a camp (and then I'll work only to shake off the rust).

[HokiePaul]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Here are some tips I have picked up for summer ball to conserve energy and not move as much. Take them as you will.

Report from a distance so you don't have to switch
Walk up the floor as Trail whenever possible
Jog from T to new Lead, but start walking once you hit the FTLE
As Lead bring all endline throw-ins that go out between the extended lane lines to your side
Sit down during timeouts when possible
Speed up putting the ball in play when possible
Don't chase the ball, have the players do it
Administer the ball from a distance when appropriate (i.e. not during a press)

My opinion ... some of these are bad tips and make you look weak as an official.

Reporting from a distance (if done with good signals and a loud voice) or administering the throw in from a distance is fairly common in all the recreation/summer ball I've seen and is helpful to avoid long or unnecessary switches -- I usually differ to my partner as to how much switching to do since I'm generally the younger/newer of the crew, but if we are limiting switching then I do both of these things.

On the other hand, walking up the floor, or not hustling all the way to the endline, putting the ball in play at the wrong spot, or sitting during timeouts will make you stand out (and not in a good way). Being seen as lazy is not a label I want.

Our association has also told us explicitly not to "tell the players to get the ball", so that's a no for me as well.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by HokiePaul

My opinion ... some of these are bad tips and make you look weak as an official.

Reporting from a distance (if done with good signals and a loud voice) or administering the throw in from a distance is fairly common in all the recreation/summer ball I've seen and is helpful to avoid long or unnecessary switches -- I usually differ to my partner as to how much switching to do since I'm generally the younger/newer of the crew, but if we are limiting switching then I do both of these things.

On the other hand, walking up the floor, or not hustling all the way to the endline, putting the ball in play at the wrong spot, or sitting during timeouts will make you stand out (and not in a good way). Being seen as lazy is not a label I want.

Our association has also told us explicitly not to "tell the players to get the ball", so that's a no for me as well.

I never tell a player to get the ball. But I stand there until it's brought to me. With a running clock (in the summer), I usually don't have to wait long.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by HokiePaul

Our association has also told us explicitly not to "tell the players to get the ball", so that's a no for me as well.

My only question here is, do you chase the ball down when it heads 20-30 feet out of bounds? We're told specifically not to chase the ball, especially if it entails turning your back on the players.

[HokiePaul]

Originally Posted by Adam

My only question here is, do you chase the ball down when it heads 20-30 feet out of bounds? We're told specifically not to chase the ball, especially if it entails turning your back on the players.

I've searched through my old emails and I can't find the email that I'm remembering... so I must back-track a bit from my assertion that my association stated this directly (maybe it was verbally at a meeting instead of an email or from one of my non-association assignors).

But the instruction that I recall was simply to not tell players to go get the ball (looks lazy and it is not their job). 99% of the time, the ball makes it's way back to the official in a reasonable amount of time. In a case where the ball ends up at the other end of the court and no player is nearby to pick it up, the game is now being held up. It would be inappropriate for the officials to direct one of the players to go chase after it. In that case, the nearest official should jog over and get it.

But I did not mean to suggest that every time the ball goes out of bounds, there should be an official running right after it and turning his back to the players.

[Adam]

Fair enough. In that case, I think waiting would be appropriate. It's not our job to chase the ball around, IMO. Dead ball periods are more vital for all available eyes to be on the players. Normally, if it ends up in the stands, there's an 8 year old thrilled to throw it to the refs.

[HokiePaul]

Originally Posted by Adam

Fair enough. In that case, I think waiting would be appropriate. It's not our job to chase the ball around, IMO. Dead ball periods are more vital for all available eyes to be on the players. Normally, if it ends up in the stands, there's an 8 year old thrilled to throw it to the refs.

Agree that waiting will usually solve the problem. I think the point would be that it's not necessarily the players job either. So "let them" get the ball but don't "direct them" to get the ball.

"White 21 ... go get the ball please" isn't something I'm going to say. I'm going to go get the ball myself if we are truly at a standstill.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by HokiePaul

Agree that waiting will usually solve the problem. I think the point would be that it's not necessarily the players job either. So "let them" get the ball but don't "direct them" to get the ball.

"White 21 ... go get the ball please" isn't something I'm going to say. I'm going to go get the ball myself if we are truly at a standstill.

I'll ask, but only if it takes longer than normal. Even then, it's "Can I get some help with the ball?"

I don't mind the stand-still.

The situation has always resolved itself before the stand-still, though.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by HokiePaul

Agree that waiting will usually solve the problem. I think the point would be that it's not necessarily the players job either. So "let them" get the ball but don't "direct them" to get the ball.

"White 21 ... go get the ball please" isn't something I'm going to say. I'm going to go get the ball myself if we are truly at a standstill.

Not me. I'd go find a drink first. I don't chase basketballs.