Wheel of Fortune or Wheel of Death?

[Back In The Saddle]

Had my second set of matches yesterday (TH previously, DH last night). I was finally able to make fairly proficient use of the wheel. It helped me a lot and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I caught a couple of IA's; I was able to immediately answer my R's query about whether one team's setter was front row or back.

However, the talk about the wheel/lineup card on the boards seems a mixed bag. There is talk of the need to wean off the wheel, and that taking years to do. There is talk of it taking years to learn to recognize alignments otherwise.

So to my question: Is it worth it to continue using the wheel, or should I spend the time (which sounds like it could be considerable) to learn to do this without it. Or is there a way to use it as a crutch to speed the process of learning to do without it.

With it, I feel like I have a tool that will let me do my job fully today. But I realize it will limit me at some point going forward.

What think ye?

[Chess Ref]

In our area we are strongly encouraged to go without a wheel/line-up card from the get go. Having said that yesterday I was the Umpire in a horrendous JV mismatch,so I thought I would play with using the line up card for the entire match. It definetly made things easier. When I lost track of server/positions I was able to reorient myself very quickly with the cheat sheet......

Now I would like to ask the Lords of this board a question....Why shouldn't the Referee use a "cheat sheat" ? Is it a perception issue ? Or what. There are times I am up there I lose track of server/position , can't ask scorer who next server is ,and a cheat sheet would be pretty handy to get back on track, no pun intended.....

[DaveASA/FED]

I love my wheel, it is a quick referral to make you keep from looking stupid. There are folks out there that can do a good job of keeping the lineups in their head, but with all the subbing some teams do I am not that capable. I like the wheel it allows a quick glance to make sure i got backrow in my head while the action is going on, with the wheel I dont' have to mark each time a server is done, just turn the wheel. Only time i write is when a sub comes in and I am done prior to them getting into position. Do I appear to be a lesser official cause I have a wheel, maybe to some, but to me I am a much better official during the match because I do use it so for me I am going to continue to use it. Maybe it is a crutch, but it lets me concentrate on the game action and not have to worry about lineups, and I have another verification if there is a question about something.

[Back In The Saddle]

Dave,

I was using it to keep track of the front row and the setters. Is there an advantage to tracking the back row instead? Do you focus on who cannot block/attack?

[DaveASA/FED]

Well I think either one is fine (interested if the experts have an opinion on which they track and why) but for me I track the back row players. They are the ones I will call a back row attack/block on so I keep them in my head. So I have 3, 8, 11...if any of them do illegal back row stuff I call it, if any of them are close to doing illegal back row stuff (jump and attack the ball close to the attack line), I signal they are safe in what they did. Seems easier to me, if anyone else does anything I don't care they are front row and can do that

Setters.....I have never tracked setters, never cared! I was told that tracking setters helps you if/when you go without a card. They are the most active in a game (always have 2nd hit well they are suppose to anyway ) so if you know where they are and the person to their right and left you have half of the lineup allready. Again that is what I have heard but who knows, I always have my wheel! Also I think they are important in that some like to dink it over the net and that can be illegal depending on height of the ball when they are back row if they are at the net so watching for that is important, again I keep all three back row players in mind so to me the setter is just another player that can't do certain things when they are back row.

[Grrrrller87]

For what it's worth (2cents?) I haven't used the wheel in over 10 years, working NFHS, and never used it for USAV or Collegiate. What I found with the wheel is that I had to continually look at something other than the court to determine what would be correct, then look at the floor to see if things were correct, which took too much time. Now I can look at the court, there's my setter, there's my opposite, and those three players are back-row. That takes place in a glance. Prior to the match, I talk with the scorekeeper and let them know that I may ask for the prior three servers (in order) for team 1. That lets me check to see that the players on the court are in the proper order.

What it all means is that I can be more comfortable on the sideline and concentrate on the action. I can glance at serving side and get the backrow players, glance at the receiving side get backrow players, check for IA, and be ready, with just a glance, to assist R1 with BRA/BRB.

HTH
John

[TimTaylor]

I've never used a wheel, so can't comment - have always used a lineup card. About the only time I look at it is when recording subs & to put a quick mark next to the current server (yes I still do that, especially in single official matches - there are times, especially if you have a weak or inexperienced score keeper, that it can save your butt). Other than that I'm finally getting to the point where I can pretty much track the player positions without referring to it. The few exceptions are when I think there's something amiss but am not 100% sure - a quick glance will clear it up.

[klo376]

I do things the same way except that I don't keep real good track of the server when flying solo and just ask my scorekeepers to keep track of the server (of course this can become a problem when coaches have differences in their books since most solo worked matches are usually middle school and the table is inexpierenced), and buzz me for a wrong server. We have two MS leagues around here that automatically rotate the girls after five straight serves so your rotations don't always line-up either. In this case I do keep track of servers. I remember either patterns or something like that to remind me of the rotation. If 3 numbers in a row make up a telephone exchange for someone I know I remember that town or maybe even area code (If I see 2, 3, and 1 for example that is the area code for where I grew up in northern Michigan). Somethimes I remember pairs that get matched together (ex. 2,3, 7, 6, 11,12 then I have to remember 6 and 7 are backwards). Probably won't work for most but it works for me. Kinda turns working VB into a brain teaser. after a few points it becomes easy to spot something that just doesn't look (or sound) right. I find that whenI keep track of the server I rely more on my card than when I don't or else I lose the server because the patterns take over and I'm starting from the same girl.

[Andy]

This is NFHS only....that's all I do.

I used the lineup card for several years, never tried the wheel. I got to a point where I was comfortable with it and it worked for me.

About five years ago, I went to my assigned match and discovered that I had neglected to replenish the supply of cards in my bag. I did the match without using the card, it was difficult at first, but as the match went on, I found that I was not having trouble recognizing alignments and keeping track of the servers and setters in my head. From then on, I just stopped using the card.

I know that NFHS requires that the umpire have a lineup card, but our higher-up HS officials here are also College and USAV officials and the usage of the card is unofficially looked down on.

If you like the wheel, continue to use it. If you want to start getting away from it (your decision), keep it during the match, but try not to look at it and trust yourself to keep the stuff in your head.

[jkumpire]

IMO,

There ought to be a way to use a Palm PC or something to keep track of this stuff. If I had the skills I could write a program pretty easily.

Just dump the roster in the database, pick out a lineup by number, and hit rotate or click on a sub/position twice. Ten have a place to hang it or post where R1/R2 can see it. the all of a sudden you have easy proof of IA's, illegal servers, etc. with no problem or hassle. And if it on a screen, R2 or R1 just needs a quick glance, and away you go.

Yes, you can keep it in your head, except for that team that runs 8 different people in a game with 15 subs.

[Grrrrller87]

jku,
the software exists, coaches use it to track stats all of the time. I don't know of a ruleset that would condone this at this time!!!

and, speaking as a software developer, it's not quite as easy as one would think!

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Grrrrller87

jku,
the software exists, coaches use it to track stats all of the time. I don't know of a ruleset that would condone this at this time!!!

and, speaking as a software developer, it's not quite as easy as one would think!

It's kind of an intriguing thought, though. Tie it in with an electronic scorebook system, or the scoreboard system. The scorekeeper/scoreboard operator does the data entry so the R/U doesn't have to. Provide a suitable display for each official. The Palm hanging from the pole won't do it. Palms are too fragile (and I keep busting mine) and too small to read at any distance. It would have to be something larger, and sturdier.

[TimTaylor]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

It's kind of an intriguing thought, though. Tie it in with an electronic scorebook system, or the scoreboard system. The scorekeeper/scoreboard operator does the data entry so the R/U doesn't have to. Provide a suitable display for each official. The Palm hanging from the pole won't do it. Palms are too fragile (and I keep busting mine) and too small to read at any distance. It would have to be something larger, and sturdier.

Why stop there BITS? We can incorporate multidimensional laser interferometry scanning to cover the lines and net, RF id tags on each player to track their positions on the court in real time and RF linked velocity and pressure sensors in the ball to monitor ball velocity and contact information in real time - all integrated into a high speed SCADA system that provides real time feedback to the R1 via a ruggedized display screen.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by TimTaylor

Why stop there BITS? We can incorporate multidimensional laser interferometry scanning to cover the lines and net, RF id tags on each player to track their positions on the court in real time and RF linked velocity and pressure sensors in the ball to monitor ball velocity and contact information in real time - all integrated into a high speed SCADA system that provides real time feedback to the R1 via a ruggedized display screen.

You actually sound like some other guy I know named Tim Taylor...lives near Detroit, I think.....

Seriously, keep up this line of thought and you will have us all out of a job soon......

[TimTaylor]

Originally Posted by Andy

You actually sound like some other guy I know named Tim Taylor...lives near Detroit, I think.....

Seriously, keep up this line of thought and you will have us all out of a job soon......

I wouldn't worry any time soon...

In reality, the technology already exists & the integration wouldn't be all that difficult - I've done far more complex systems. The biggest technical hurdle would be instrumenting the ball - miniature ruggedized sensors do exist, but designing & integrating the package would be a challenge, so perfecting that could take a while. Everything else is pretty much available off the shelf.

Oh, did I mention the cost? I roughly guesstimate the first systems would likely be around $500K each, but you could probably cut that in half with volume production. Know anyone that wants to fund it?