Getting the ball...
 

Remember this - and the related comments - from a recent thread?

What say ye about this?

(BTW Hokie, not tossing you under the Trailways. Yours was the first post I saw)

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[QUOTE=JetMetFan;938366]What say ye about this?

In our area officials are taught not to be "LGBT". Not to...
Look at the ball bouncing away OOB,
Go after the ball,
Beckon for the ball, or
Turn your head toward the ball.
Dead ball surveillance of the players is a key responsibility of all officials. The ball will return to the TI administering official.
Of course, I believe that's been said before.

I was half expecting this video to show a fight breaking out after the official turned to retrieve the ball ...
From what I recall in the other thread, my association seems to be in the minority and most felt strongly that this was a bad idea.

But hey, at least the official didn't look lazy. :)

Freddy
 

that is a very inclusive acronym! Props.

Playoff game last year...
 

... team captain, who was a lively personality, says to me (as I'm LGBTing) "you know the NBA refs get the ball for LeBron!"

1. No, they don't. You'll never see an NBA ref chasing the ball out of the gym.

I know...boring video. It just struck me that the guy took a good 10 seconds to go walking after the ball. It would've been longer if someone hadn't been walking through the hallway and stopped it for him.

I know nothing happened in this clip but I can't see how this would be a good thing. Ever.

Me to team captain (as I am pointing to the ball); "When you are as good as him I will gladly get you the ball. Until then..."

"This ain't the NBA and you ain't Lebron, and if he were here I wouldn't go get if for him, either."

Retrieving a basketball is not in the game officials' job description. Players are paid big dollars to retrieve the ball for the game officials. AND I DO instruct players to retrieve the ball. AND I DO instruct new officials to instruct players to retrieve the ball.

MTD, Sr.

Minority? I have yet to hear anyone advocate this. I would not have been chancing the ball and certainly have never been advocated to do so.

Peace

Didn't an NBA ref go to jail for that?

Well there is my association (at least a couple other members here although I don't know how they feel on this issue) ... and whatever association/board oversees the league featured in this video.

Just to be clear, I'm re-posting the email my association sent ...

"There is no NFHS rule or Association policy that states players are supposed to retrieve a loose ball. It is the responsibility of a member of the crew to retrieve the ball while the other member/s of crew observe the players. Forcing players to retrieve the ball gives the appearance we are lazy or out of shape."

I wouldn't go so far as to say that my association "advocates" that we chase after the ball. Policy simply states that it is ultimatly our responsibility and that we should not direct players to do so. I'm surprised at how strongly some of you oppose this--I don't see it as a big deal either way. We're not expected to go chasing the ball every time it goes out of bounds.

I do think, however, that telling players to go get the ball looks bad. I leave directing players to do things to their coach unless it is specifically addressed in the rules/manual/duties. That's why, for example, we say "you can't play with earrings" instead of "take out your earrings". Directing a player to "take out your earrings" is over-stepping your authority, as is (arguably) directing a player to go get the ball.

In an instance such as the video here, I believe that it looks better for the official to go get the ball as opposed to the alternative (stand there waiting/watching players stand around) or telling one of the players to get it (and overstepping your authority as an official).

So, we have two officials watching the floor in a women's college game, while the L gets the ball.

What's the down side here? What's the alternative?

Dead ball, I want every eye possible on the players to be honest.

Alternative? That ball will make its way back. I've even seen players from bench go get it. I might take a step away, towards the door, to catch it, but that's as far as I'm going.

It's a bad habit to get into, IMO.

Hokie,

I was under the impression that your advocated the same things I was taught. Sorry if I misunderstood.

That being said, I do not tell players to go get the ball. I ask them to "help with the ball." And I am not the one going to retrieve the ball, so we are going to sit there until they get the ball. And you can basically train players to the expectation early on in the game. Players learn very early what is going on and adjust accordingly.

Peace

This is basically what I do as well. I've never had to stand long, and whether "help with the ball" means A15 gets it himself, or sends his girlfriend to get it, I really don't care.

The down side? After the L takes about three steps towards the doorway to get the ball there are eight players in what would be his PCA - five gold, three black. Suppose the two #30s - who are closest to him but furthest from the C and T - get into something? He has no clue what happened plus the C and T have to get through other players to get to them.

The alternative is stand there and let one of them get it. As Adam said, the ball will make its way back. With dead-ball officiating emphasized at every camp I attended this summer - as well as keeping eyes on players while the ball is live let alone dead - turning our back to go get the ball isn't a good idea.

Lot's Of Ways To Skin A Cat ...
 

Nor is there any NFHS rule that states that the official must retrieve a loose ball.

So, instead of saying, "Go get the ball", we can say, "We can't play without that ball". Hopefully the players will get the idea, and if they don't, we can come back with, "I'm not getting that ball".

Everything we do is not in writing. Some times we just have to officiate.

Peace