Jr High...GIRLS

Welpe

This has been an interesting read for me.

For those that do work the Jr High/Middle School games, what will you call on violations such as traveling? So far I know the book way to call these but I can see it being counter-productive to call every travel.

grunewar

IowaMike wrote
I call a lot of varsity ball, but I still enjoy doing some middle school games every year. No pressure, and it's fun to work a kids 7th grade game then see them as a polished varsity player four or five years down the road.

Oh, I dunno, I'm not sure I'd use the terms "enjoy" and "fun" in/around the discussion of some of the G 7th grade games I've done. But, I understand your point. 😉 I have done one leagues B13U games every weekend for yrs and enjoy it.....most of the time.

I do agree though it is very difficult to "relaxe" the travelling call standard at the lower levels.

As is being discussed with the "T" call (for example), at what age/level do you just say - "I'm calling it every time, no question" and stop being the helper/teacher? I don't believe there is a right answer. 13 yr old boy AAU but not 14 yr old Rec? F HS? MS?

Just curious.

Vinski

PIAA REF wrote
I usually woundn't give a T for a kid running on the court, but the coach was yelling thats a T, Thats a T so I did.

That’s a risky philosophy. Making a call because a coach is yelling for it, is allowing the coach to persuade your calls. The other coach could have easily yelled out, “Hey, you’re letting him call the game”. Next thing you know, you’ve got to issue another T and your credibility is in question.

Personally, I believe in giving the T right away as to help educate the kids. If you don’t give it the first time, you could be dealing with it the rest of the game. Giving the T is really no big deal. It’s just another foul and kids won’t be permanently scarred. Besides, if you do give the T you have the rules to back you and you don’t have to worry about the other coach complaining about it.

IMHO, travelling is a different story. That has to do with physical coordination and is still being developed in the JH leagues. Get the obvious ones, and “monitor” the lack-of-good-footwork ones. However, if you’re in the camp that wouldn’t T the kid for running out on the court, then stick with it and be consistent.

mick

PIAA REF wrote
I usually woundn't give a T for a kid running on the court, but the coach was yelling thats a T, Thats a T so I did.

The coaches can certainly put us in a rough spot like that.

I have been there, and I'll go over to the coach and quietly discuss with him that going strictly by the book is definitely an option, while enumerating some of his uniform violations, some of the places he has been standing and how his chair isn't in the coaching box that he is no longer allowed to use.

They know some of the rules, but not as many as we do. 😉

Mark Padgett

There's another reason our kids rec league has the policy of making the violation call. Each year, we train a handful of new HS kids to be refs. It's hard enough doing so without trying to get them to let some calls go. Since we have so many young and relatively inexperienced refs, it makes much more sense over the long haul to teach them to enforce the rules. It's not just for having the young players learn the rules, it's for the young refs, also.

mbyron

Welpe wrote
For those that do work the Jr High/Middle School games, what will you call on violations such as traveling?

Here's one way to think about it:

For HS games, I'm looking for a reason NOT to call traveling. The toe barely slid, the shot was released at the same instant the pivot returned to the floor, etc. The default call is a travel unless I can find such a reason, and my main goal is to enforce the traveling rule properly.

For MS games, I'm looking for a reason TO call traveling. The player picked up the dribble and took 3 steps, the foot slid 5 inches, etc. I'm going to ignore it unless I absolutely can't. The default call here is no travel unless the violation is gross, and my main goal is to help the game flow.

ChrisSportsFan

Back In The Saddle wrote
My immediate reaction to your post was, "Me neither."

But pretty quickly it turned to, "Well, why not?" It's a meaningless pre-season game at a level where the focus is, or should be, on teaching kids the fundamentals of the game. Meaningful learning involves more than just listening to instruction and doing what they are told, but in trying stuff, making mistakes, and learning from them. In the same way we come to own rules by kicking them, this girl now owns this rule.

Just thinking out loud.

and so does all the other players

mick

Welpe wrote
This has been an interesting read for me.

For those that do work the Jr High/Middle School games, what will you call on violations such as traveling? So far I know the book way to call these but I can see it being counter-productive to call every travel.

I try to call violations based on the physical skills of the better team, because I do not want to punish the well-schooled, well-coached players.

[deleted]

Indianaref wrote
Try 5/6th grade girls.:eek:

I had a friend who asked me how many travel calls I have in these games. I told him enough for those girls to practice their arithmetic. 😀 If I did call all the travels in 5/6th grade girls, then my 2nd day job would have unauthorized overtime! 😛

Mark Padgett

Ref Ump Welsch wrote
IIf I did call all the travels in 5/6th grade girls, then my 2nd day job would have unauthorized overtime! :p

That's one reason why our kids rec league uses running clock at the lower levels. If we didn't, the games would take days with all the clock stoppages.

BTW - we have a Board mtg tonight to schedule volunteers for our no-cut tryouts and our draft, which are both coming up in the next couple of weeks (weekday evenings in Tigard at Fowler MS). Any of you who would like to help, just post your interest here. Thanks.

grunewar

Mark Padgett wrote
BTW - we have a Board mtg tonight to schedule volunteers for our no-cut tryouts and our draft, which are both coming up in the next couple of weeks (weekday evenings in Tigard at Fowler MS). Any of you who would like to help, just post your interest here. Thanks.

I'm with ya Mark!

We have our, I'm sure similar, four nights of registration fun (Didn't you get my check? My credit is too good. Here is a copy of my confirmation. Can't I register as a walk-in?), and no-cut tryouts (He's having a bad night. She's just a little nervous. She's not in playing shape yet. He's just a little sore from football practice, he'll be ok.) from 2-5 Nov at Mark Twain Middle School here in Alex, Va (wahoo!)

Let the season begin!

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