experienced partner
 

I have 15 years experience, I worked a game today where I was the junior partner. Both partners had over 20 years.

Great game, tied at the half and no team had more than a 3 point lead. With under a minute to go in a 1 point game, senior partner comes running from BC as trail, yelling ROTATE, ROTATE. I was lead, 6 players on my side, 4 on the other, ball near the foul line, C has the match up. The ball has moved all day, rearly settled. I rotate, ball fumbled and A falls on top of it, no call. She passes it out and B1 & A2 battle over the ball. I have nothing and C charges over calling a foul on B1. He is about 45 feet fr the action.

I feel like the pressure got to him and he had to take over. Anyway, BW shoots 1 plus and misses. A1 Rebounds with a 1 point lead. 12 seconds left. TO, foul, foul, foul, horn game over...the foul count was 8-4.

You can learn a lot about your partner in a tight game.

I wouldn't yell at you, ever. But I'd be trying to will you across -- I do not like leaving the C on-ball and "settling" isn't something that really concerns me.

The rest of it with a partner? Yeah, I've been there. There's a YouTube video of it that's about due to be posted soon.

If C needed help, and he didn't, he would have rotated out to trail. I would have come across. Jmo, it wasn't needed yet with the ball movement. My main point was partner's last 2 actions.

I don't feel a need to take charge of the game. He took over. We had 2 officials on ball side. He comes from 45 feet to make a call that wasn't there.

Need a better description. Was there something to call that was missed?

The C isn't going to step out to encourage the L to rotate if he's on the ball.

Matter of fact, the L could rotate over and the C may just stay the C for a while if that's the best spot to officiate the ball.

Our crew doesn't leave the C on the ball. If C is counting closely guarded, that means the L should be rotating and making the C the new trail.

It is next to the home bench and home coach is screaming "WALK, WALK".
She did not have control of the ball when she fell.

I understand. In our crew and this game with the ball movement, I was being patient. I had closed down.

Not This:
This:
When the "Not This" is done (that was the old mechanic), when the C, on ball, loops up to trigger the rotation (if L gets the hint) he more often than not straightlines himself on the matchup in front of him, and if that drive goes to the hoop he puts himself in the position of going one way while the play he's responsible for is going the other way.
The more I study video (of myself and others) "This" seems to be preferred as a C mechanic rather than "Not This".
True or False: C can often get a much better look by stepping down when the on-ball matchup is right in front of him. L comes across...so what? L isn't going to be looking at C's matchup anyway; he's looking at the competitive matchup(s) C can't observe because of the overload on C's side. When C's matchup evaporates, then he can move up to T.
The point I'm testing is this: we get ourselves into a less advantageous position when we, as C, "loop up" to T too quickly.
Responses and reactions to that suggestion welcome.

C -- Loop Up or Step Down?

Furthermore, if the C is on-ball here and there's pressure, the chances that something happens on *that* side of the court get much higher.

It's OK to rotate and then rotate back if needed.

My experience is that many HS officials do not rotate enough. Go to an NBA, NCAAW, or even NCAAM game and see when those people rotate -- a lot more than most HS officials do.

+1. In basketball the play is always moving toward the basket, either on an offensive set, a drive, or with players positioning for a rebound when a shot goes up. "Looping up" takes you away from the action, plus it's harder to see something when you're moving than when you're standing still. And chances are if you loop up, in your new primary there won't be anything to officiate, which leaves only two partners on the 10 players (thereby defeating the point of 3-person).

So....nothing wrong with two C's for a while. Stay and officiate what's right in front of you. If you need a step to get an angle, open low rather than high if possible. And for pete's sake stop worrying about getting beat in transition; it's gonna happen sometimes, but there are ways to overcome this.

If the offense completely resets and the ball comes back to the top of the perimeter, now would be the time to loop up and start over.

If you don't believe me, ask Donnie Vaden.