Bad Partner

[SE Minnestoa Re]

This is why I like a regular partner. We have an understanding of whose responsibility it is when situations arise and we don't have clusters like this happen.

[BryanV21]

I'd like to know what the assignor thought after seeing this.

[APG]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

I'd like to know what the assignor thought after seeing this.

This is from the thread 3 years ago when this clip was discussed. You can read the entire thread here:

Have any of you ever called...

Originally Posted by Rich

It's been a busy couple of days as far as Christmas preparations and the like go, so I've mostly been following this thread on the phone while out and about. My single post thus far was while sitting at the Wisconsin / Mississippi Valley State game yesterday afternoon. I'll try to summarize my thoughts with some quick bulletpoints:

-- Yes, I was the "new trail."

-- Yes, I had a bus driven over me then had it stop, reverse, and back over me again.

-- garef314: My count in neither throw-in was *slow*. I timed the first throw-in (the one after the timeout) with a stopwatch and it's 3.5 seconds from handing her the ball until she released the throw-in. If you watch the video again, I'm between 3 and 4 on my count when the ball was released. Exactly how is that slow?

-- I was hyper-aware of the situation and remained so during the entire play until I got hit by the bus. The ball went through the basket with 8 seconds remaining in the game. But as we all know the five second count doesn't begin until the ball is at the disposal of the thrower-in. I was aware that the new offense might try to delay here, but I'm not going to change how I administer the count just because the home team had used up all their timeouts and because there were only 8 seconds left in the game. I started counting at the exact same place I would've at any other point in the game.

-- I started the count when the clock was between 5 and 6 seconds left in the game. Yes, I had an eye on the ball and thrower-in and another on the clock. I would've had a violation, likely, with less than a second left in the game had it gotten that far. The bus arrived before that.

-- tomegun: I was angry, angrier than I've ever been on a court before or since. And yet, watching the video, I feel I'm about as composed as I could've possibly been, given the circumstances. I used to gesture with my hands and arms when talking, but I've really worked on not doing that and I'm happy that my hands, for the most part, stay by my sides.

-- I moved to a new town in 2008 and this game was in December of 2009 -- I drove separately. After the game, I went in the locker room, changed clothes quickly without showering, and left without saying a word. I was as close to the edge as I've ever been before or since.

-- My partner was not the senior official. Yes, he's older by about 8-10 years, but I was 40 at the time in my 23rd season of working high school basketball and at least 18 years since I started regularly working varsity games. Who the R was is irrelevant, really -- we always take turns with the duties and we decide at the school who the R will be on a given night.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I could've handled that situation better. I've spent a lot of time thinking about that situation when I'm the senior guy working with a relatively new person. Even though I didn't fit that description, I never want to be someone who steps on a partner like this for *any* reason.

The aftermath is that the winning coach (the home team did not hit their last shot) was more appalled at our disagreement than the call (which, knowing the typical rural girls' coach -- he had no clue that the new lead couldn't make this call). He contacted the commissioner himself and the commissioner called me a few days later. I explained to the commissioner exactly what had happened and he, too, was more concerned about the appearance of us disagreeing on the court than with what that official did, although he knew enough that he couldn't believe that the lead would make such a call. I still work for that assignor -- but only 1-2 dates a year (my choice -- he only has one school less than an hour from my house).

I deleted the original thread because one poster decided to come onto the thread and use it as an excuse to blast me, for whatever reason. BTW, I never said this was a terribly well-officiated game. It was a sloppy, foul-ridden game with the score in the low 30s. I think it's hard for any crew to look good in a game like this.

I really don't want to relive this over and over every couple of seasons, but if anyone has any questions, go ahead. Or PM me. I refuse to deal with personalities. On the other hand, film don't lie.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by SE Minnestoa Re

This is why I like a regular partner. We have an understanding of whose responsibility it is when situations arise and we don't have clusters like this happen.

Having a regular partner does not eliminate these problems or create them. I have worked in both situations and have seen problems in both situations. For one having a regular partner you often will not go against that partner when needed. Having different partners that are hired by a person that put you together for a reason, the assignor might know who is the stronger official and puts you there accordingly.

This situation was more about the official over stepping his responsibility and not willing to come off of the mess he made. Heck the fact he made the call and went to the table is telling that he knows he was ultimately in the wrong if he had to do that much explaining. If he made the call and was confident in his decision, he would have just made the call and walked away. He looked disheveled in how he was acting.

Peace

[OKREF]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Having a regular partner does not eliminate these problems or create them. I have worked in both situations and have seen problems in both situations. For one having a regular partner you often will not go against that partner when needed. Having different partners that are hired by a person that put you together for a reason, the assignor might know who is the stronger official and puts you there accordingly.

This situation was more about the official over stepping his responsibility and not willing to come off of the mess he made. Heck the fact he made the call and went to the table is telling that he knows he was ultimately in the wrong if he had to do that much explaining. If he made the call and was confident in his decision, he would have just made the call and walked away. He looked disheveled in how he was acting.

Peace

I've worked with the same partner for 10 years. This would never happen in one of our games. Simply put, we both know that this doesn't belong to the new lead in any way.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by OKREF

I've worked with the same partner for 10 years. This would never happen in one of our games. Simply put, we both know that this doesn't belong to the new lead in any way.

I used to work with the same partner or partners for the first 3 to 4 years of my career. I went another 8 years or so not working with a partner and literally working with a different person just about every single game (when I moved to the Chicago area). Then I went back to working a lot of games with two guys that helped mentor me for about 5 years. Then I have gone back to not having a partner and this or anything like this has never happened to me in any basketball game.

This to me was about the individual, not what the rest of us are used to.

Peace

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by OKREF

I've worked with the same partner for 10 years. This would never happen in one of our games. Simply put, we both know that this doesn't belong to the new lead in any way.

Working with the same partner doesn't eliminate such occurrences. This is simply a case of an official f'ing up and not backing down in the aftermath.

I like working with multiple partners b/c it gives me different perspectives. If I were to work with the same partner all the time I feel like we would get too comfortable with bad habits. Working with new partners, I'm more likely to have someone ask, "hey, why are you doing that?"

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Working with new partners, I'm more likely to have someone ask, "hey, why are you doing that?"

For you to be open to that kind of peer critique is laudable. In fact, for a whole association or assigning pool to be nurtured to have that kinda attitude would really be a benefit. Self-inviting peer critique is an asset towards sure improvement.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Freddy

For you to be open to that kind of peer critique is laudable. In fact, for a whole association or assigning pool to be nurtured to have that kinda attitude would really be a benefit. Self-inviting peer critique is an asset towards sure improvement.

I always welcome constructive and productive criticism. I especially crave it from supervisors. There was a five year period before I got picked up in D3 ball that I worked in a JuCo where my closest games were at least a 2 1/2 hour drive. The supervisor was a multiple D1 Final Four official who could nit-pick your game to pieces. There was many a lonely ride home where I would ask myself if I was really good enough to be pursuing this avocation above the HS level.

I finally reconciled myself that he wouldn't bother to spend all that time breaking my game down unless he felt 1) that I could handle it; and 2) that he saw potential me, and felt I was worth the effort.

Now when I get the chance to mentor or observe younger officials I tell them I can either pat you on the back and say "great job", or I can point out those little things you need to work on that will help you move up whatever ladder you're trying to climb.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

I always welcome constructive and productive criticism.

One crew I work with is accustomed to "Goin' 'Round the Horn" for post-game every game. Official A, then B, then C each offers something -- anything -- a call each made that each might like to either "have back" or review on video. Discussion of each by the group. Then another round where each suggests something he saw of each of the other two that might merit reconsideration or special review on the video. Healthy interchange and enabling introspection always results. And thereby it seems track of improvement is laid. I'm confident this is nothing new to most of you...

Contra . . . Post season partner last year, as I tried to enact the same kinda post-game analysis: "No, we don't do that kinda stuff with our crew. We figure, if a partner called it, he wouldn't have called it if it wasn't correct." Poor guy. Lack of self- and peer-critique showed.

Lack of a good post-game seems closer to the latter than the former.