Possession question

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

It's why I always alternate a spare whistle in my pockets. That's right; I have a possession arrow in my pants.

That is a practice appropriate for MS officials. I would suggest that you discard it and just look at the arrow on the table after every AP throw-in to confirm that it is properly switched.

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

That is a practice appropriate for MS officials.

And apparently a couple D1 officials I have seen on tv recently.

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by AremRed

And apparently a couple D1 officials I have seen on tv recently.

Really? You are saying that officials with access to a courtside video monitor and play-by-play technology are using a whistle in their pockets to track AP?

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Really? You are saying that officials with access to a courtside video monitor and play-by-play technology are using a whistle in their pockets to track AP?

Yes. I guess some habits die hard.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Yes. I guess some habits die hard.

Here, in my little corner of Connecticut, we are very strongly encouraged (from the get go, during training) to keep track of the possession arrow with an extra whistle in our pocket. We've been doing this since the invention of the possession arrow. Last week, during our Cancer Awareness Week (one quarter game fee donated to American Cancer Society), we used pink whistles. Since using a pink whistle was not part of my usual pregame routine, I forgot my backup pocket whistle. It was a varsity game, I knew that the table had the arrow under control, and I knew that my partner had his backup pocket whistle, but I still felt totally naked without it. I couldn't wait for halftime to stuff that extra whistle in my pocket.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

That is a practice appropriate for MS officials.

Damn right. Our Catholic middle school games don't even have an arrow at the table. Never had. They leave it up to the officials to keep track, and there are a lot of held balls in a middle school game, especially a girls middle school game.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by finqb13

I'm not a bb official, but was asked about this instance. Buzzer goes off at the end of the 3rd quarter and the official calls for a jump ball. Arrow says team A. Teams go to benches and come back out for the 4th and team b is awarded possession of the ball. Team A got the throw in for the 3rd quarter. The argument was why didn't team A get the throw in for the 4th quarter after the official called a jump ball? Thank you.

This is how it should be. As others have noted, the official putting his thumbs in the air does not always result in the switching of the arrow. There are a lot of situations where a held ball can be ruled and the arrow would not switch.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

In all of my games, I suspect I could count on my hand the number of times I've had an entire quarter go by without using the arrow at all .

I think OP is right, albeit for the wrong reason.

I have quarters go by all the time where we don't use the arrow. I don't even remember them anymore. I do remember a game this year where we went three quarters without using it, then had 4 within the first two minutes of the 4th quarter.

[BoomerSooner]

Originally Posted by DrPete

And, just because Team A got the ball for the throw in to start the third quarter, doesn't mean Team B will get it for the fourth quarter, there are lots of ways the alternating arrow can change over the course of the game, not just at the beginning of a quarter.

I believe your point is that there are several different things that can result in an alternating-possession situation (held ball, simultaneous violations, etc), but as a point of clarification, there is only 1 way for the arrow to be appropriately reversed and that is the completion of an alternating possession throw-in.

Originally Posted by Adam

I have quarters go by all the time where we don't use the arrow. I don't even remember them anymore. I do remember a game this year where we went three quarters without using it, then had 4 within the first two minutes of the 4th quarter.

It is theoretically impossible to go more than a quarter (or halves if you play that) without using the arrow.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by AremRed

It is theoretically impossible to go more than a quarter (or halves if you play that) without using the arrow.

Theoretically, I could start every quarter with a T….

[Adam]

Originally Posted by AremRed

It is theoretically impossible to go more than a quarter (or halves if you play that) without using the arrow.

Theoretically, you'd be right.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by AremRed

It is theoretically impossible to go more than a quarter (or halves if you play that) without using the arrow.

Actually, it's not. It's theoretically possible to go the entire game without using it.

[crosscountry55]

Originally Posted by BigCat

Theoretically, I could start every quarter with a T….

= comeback of the month. Oh, snap!