ref

I don't have a wordprocessor software on my computer, I do all my writing in emails or blog, but sometime I want to just save something I wrote, and I put it in a blog post, but don't post it...which is all the following is, but, I thought to post it too...

 

There are things I put a lot of hope in, and one thing I discovered was basketball, and in particular the little high school basketball rulebook.  It is a marvel of brevity, kinda like the bill of rights, and marvelous in how much discussion and wrangling goes on over it, and basketball rulings by refs, players, coaches, fans--all a bit like Congress and US!

 

The instructional chair of the ref organization I joined invites anecdotal accounts...don't know if much regard are given mine, but I find the opportunity to go on about the intricacies of refs' calls irresistable! 

 

Following is such...

 

T,

Yes, I have a play...while at the Laundromat I checked Rules and Topics and found a mistake I made yesterday, 4:30 girls freshman at W., C. the second official...Red team player, B, defense, was crossing the line on Green A's throw in at baseline...I whistled it and gave team warning to Red bench and coach...later in game, Red B, same player, did it again, I whistled the technical...free throws were taken for the T, and while I was about to inbound opposite the scorer's table, I noticed coach in discussion with scorers...waited a bit, then went over to see what was up...red coach wanted to know if the foul was a team foul, or a personal foul on the player that would count toward foul totals...a bit of doubt on my part, but stated with conviction that it was a personal foul that would count towards totals...coach accepted this, and C. too...I can be too convincing!...Red player 5 was the one getting the foul, this one the fourth...and later they fouled again on a reach, and fouled out, which was too bad in a close game, as 5 was enthusiastic, and coach wanted her in game...feel a bit blue about this my own self!...another red player crossed over on throw in too, and I called the T same way, personal foul, not realizing my error...Freshman girls cross the line, reaching, a lot, and I don't call all these, but red players stepped over the line...

Now, if I could, I'd like to go back and correct my mistake to Red coach, and to C. too (update: saw C. yesterday, and explained my error!), and maybe even the scorers!  I have them all convinced it was a personal foul on the boundary violation, when it should be just a Team tech... so my error may propagate! 

I study the book and rules, but sometimes they just don't come to mind in stressed game situations the first time something particular comes up...once something happens in a game, and I get it right, I have it  for keeps.

On another note, I attended seven varsity games over the last two days at the C. Tournament at B. P... At a scrimmage, C. recommended I watch some varsity games, which is good counsel.  .I took some clips, nearly all of the final game.  I can put them on a disc and mail them to you for your library if you like.  Refs in games did fine, some nit picks I could make, and I missed getting on clip back to back Techs called by T.....first was on player at baseline, and while he was squaring away all the players for free throws, back to the scorers table, coach was barking as he didn't see, or hear the call, and having got T's attention, T went to the table and coach, and some quick back and forth, and Tech'd the coach, quickly.  Thinking on this, I'm not that quick!, and maybe too tolerant.  T. delayed a bit reporting player Tech while squaring away, and this brought out coach, I think, and thinking this, in that situation, I might myself had thought, 'ok, coach, vent a bit, I've kinda brought this on myself being slow to report'...if I mess up somehow, and coach goes off, I feel I kinda have to just be more tolerant, as coach has cause...best I don't make mistakes, and give coach cause!

And at a scrimmage with J., a second season ref like myself, and D. H., think that's the spelling, D. took us under his wing and went over everything from baseline to baseline...very good help from D., who has an admirable style and flourish in his effort!  Two new refs being taught by an experienced ref in a scrimmage seems a good way to learn.

That game I did yesterday has already scrolled away at A., I wanted to update the Note about my mistake. 

Cheers,

David