Originally Posted by APG (Post 953579)

To be fair, if this happened in an NBA game, the team would be assessed a delay of game warning. So a team is only gonna do this once before being assessed a technical.

Put me in the camp though of doing absolutely everything to avoid the ROP. If they're coming out late enough for you to consider doing this, I can almost guarantee they've done this early in the game. IF you're gonna use the ROP, I'd be using it earlier in the game. I don't want the first time to be in the fourth quarter.

Originally Posted by bob jenkins (Post 953592)

You can use "ROP-Lite" early in the game to *help* reduce the chances of needed to use ROP late in the game.

If a team is a little slow coming out early, blow the whistle as they first break the huddle, and be deliberate in putting the ball on the floor (or giving it to the other team).

You don't need to wait for them to set up the offense / defense, but you also don't want to give the other team an easy basket or create a 5-second violation.

Originally Posted by Eastshire (Post 953594)

That only works if they are a little slow early. The last time I had to use the ROP they weren't slow at all until they were a lot slow late. The problem with the idea of needing to get it early if you're going to get it late is it doesn't always happen early.

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee (Post 953641)

I like the ROP-lite mechanic. :)

It sounds like a trick I've done in the past. Hand the ball to the thrower-in just as B breaks the huddle, and they have to jog to play D. Or put the ball down when the thrower-in is "almost there". If they are paying attention, they will get the message with little to no effect on the possession. But continually hanging around their huddle and using your voice is craziness, imho.

There are officiating tools available. Use them.

Originally Posted by Coach Bill (Post 953259)

I agree with this 100%. U never see it at the higher levels, cuz it's unnecessary. It should be a last resort after prior warnings have gone unheeded. I've seen officials do it when we're few seconds late, and we're hustling onto the court, and they put the ball down. that's crap. In my opinion.

Originally Posted by BillyMac (Post 953587)

Coach Bill: Just curious. How many of these "put the ball down" situations have become five second violations against your team? How many have escalated to technical fouls?

Originally Posted by crosscountry55 (Post 953243)

Do you ever see this done in a college or NBA game when you're watching on TV? No.

So why do NFHS games become this weird laboratory for officiating experiments? This kind of, "watch what I have the power to do!" stuff is nonsense. Indeed, fourth quarter of a close game, for Pete's sake please find another way to address this.

John Adams et al. made teams not breaking timeouts an NCAA POE a couple years back. But like pace of play in baseball, change isn't coming overnight. So in the meantime, stay close to the huddle, stare in the assistant coach's face, hold up two fingers, and keep verbalizing. But please don't put the ball down when an entire team isn't even moving onto the floor. For college officials that's a sure way to get kicked off a staff. Should be like that for HS, too.