Jump Ball Administration

[Rich]

The importance of the opening jump is overrated.

I've been to a few camps where they say that the quality of toss sets the tone for the game and I simply don't believe it. The other team will get 2 of the next 3 alternating possession scenarios. And a poor toss rarely is remembered seconds later. Except by the non-tossers on the crew who may be laughing still minutes later.

Let the visiting team have the ball first and eliminate a completely unnecessary event. Just cause it's rare that a tosser gets hurt doesn't mean it's an entirely stupid way to start a game - rewarding someone officially for being taller.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

In 44 years of officiating I have only been hit once by a player.

I was the R in a men's college JV game and the visitors were a jr. college team. The jumper for the visitors was 7'-01"; he was by far the tallest jumper I had ever had take part in a Jump Ball in which I was the tosser. He hit me in my stomach with his foot. It was a little bit harder than a glancing blow but it did cause me to wince and he was very apologetic about it and I told him he had not done anything wrong. It was a great toss by the way too.

I have taken harder shots to the face and chest while umpiring baseball. I have always wear all of the necessary protection equipment required for umpires therefore, my face has always been this ugly, .

MTD, Sr.

Originally Posted by so cal lurker

soccer has a dropped ball that involves two players kicking at a ball dropped by the referee from waist height . . . but it is very rare at real levels of soccer . . .

Hey, my U9 games are real soccer too!

Originally Posted by Rich

I've been to a few camps where they say that the quality of toss sets the tone for the game

What kind of camps were these?

[zm1283]

I've started standing back away from the jumpers a little when I toss the last couple of days just to try it out. Not as far back as the NBA official in that video posted on here, but a good 2-3 feet from where their feet are. I used to get right up next to them, but I can just as easily toss it at an angle and make it a good toss.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Hey, my U9 games are real soccer too!



What kind of camps were these?

Proper tosses is a pet peeve of the SEC supervisor.