The stopping is not so much for veteran officials and veteran table crews. It is for the rest that often need to slow down. I often evaluate officials who are in too much of a hurry to report and leave such that they're turning away before they're even done reporting. That leads to miscommunication and/or they look bad/sloppy. Buzz, buzzz...what was that number....or...hey that should be 1+1 or something.

Insisting they stop, report, then leave, gets them to slow down and not leave before they're really finished.

Smoke Signals ...
 

IAABO signals actually say not to stick your hand straight out, but rather, to signal the player number off to the side. This change was made a few years ago. If I recall correctly, the change was made because it was thought that holding up fingers in front of a vertically striped jersey could lead to mistakes by the table crew.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/511/19...8ebef98a_m.jpg

As one with experience on the other side of the scorer's table, I would agree with this concern. As a scorer, I've had officials flash the numbers so quickly in front of them, their fingers blend in with the stripes, making it difficult to see on occasion and prompting the question, "Who was the foul on again?"

As an official, I try to report using a hand off to the side--on the side of offending team's bench if possible--to help make it easier for the table crew.

In Texas we switched to two-hand mechanics AND we're allowed to walk and talk. So we have some good things going for us down here!

This is the first instance I can think of that makes our grey pinstripes more practical than black and whites.

Just for the other side of the coin -- when I have scored, I have found it easier to see the fingers in front of the stripes than when the signs were off to the side -- in the latter, the fingers would blend in with the crowd in the background.

Teaching Tool ...
 

Agree. Slowing down is a relative term, one official's impression of slow may be another official's impression of fast. By teaching stop, an absolute term, there's no ambiguity of what's expected. It's an easy starting point for teaching proper mechanics.

Relative:
Evaluator: Your reporting was too fast.
Rookie Official: Yes, but (famous rookie last words) I slowed down from the last evaluation.

Absolute:
Evaluator: You didn't stop.
Rookie Official: You're right I didn't.

It's a great teaching tool. Once one becomes a veteran official, one can adjust, and figure out what the appropriate speed is.

Last night, I saw the new NFHS signal chart posted here [PDF]. I didn't see a new signal for running the end line, but they did change signal #28. What used to be the pointing at the floor for a free throw or designated spot violation (in the 2014-15 rule book) is a now a new signal for "Move along end line on a throw in" violation(?).

Did the signal for running the end line get put in the wrong section? :confused:

28 is the new signal. Spot throw is 7

And 28 should be in the information section.

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I don't think they mentioned either way, just that we should use two hand mechanics. Sorry.

yes

Can someone please explain why IAABO has their own set of mechanics? I've never been able to wrap my head around it.

The NF does not control what any state or local association wants to do with their mechanics. It is really that simple. The NF is only over rules and have mechanics that areas may or may not follow.

Peace

That is certainly true, but the question of why they actually do it remains?