1/26/2014

 When you meet with the table personnel, stress how important they are to the officiating crew for a smooth game outside the rectangle.  If something unusual happens off the initial toss, make sure the table knows how to set the arrow prior to putting the ball into play. Also, make sure that the arrow gets switched properly on all AP situations.  Remind the scorer to be sure to make eye contact when fouls are reported, and to promptly let you know when a player has committed their fifth foul.

 Use the pregame meeting with the captains to gain their confidence in you for future use, and to set the tone for good sportsmanship. Remember the speaking captain's first names and try to work through them if you have a problem child that needs to be addressed.

 Communication with head coaches is extremely important. Be approachable and do not go about your business with a chip on your shoulder.  Three principles when dealing with coaches: 1.answer questions 2.acknowledge statements 3.penalize insanity  When answering questions, be brief, to the point, and try to use language in the rule book.  Sometimes, when acknowledging statements, a simple nod of the head can be sufficient. Verbal responses such as "I hear you coach" or "We'll look for that" can often be enough to satisfy the coach's need to be heard.  Penalizing insanity is self-explanatory. Deal with it in a professional manner and remember assessing a technical is just like calling any other foul. It is still just a foul, not a felony!

 Goal: 3 officials = 1 consistent crew  Inconsistent judgment on similar plays at opposite ends of the floor (not good)  Goal: Consistency (as the coaches expect it to be)  Focus: know what has been called during the game and match our responses to similar plays as the game continues

 Player's conduct during dead balls can screw up our game, if we let them. Therefore, be proactive, and prevent, prevent, prevent!  Held balls: the two officials closest to the held ball situation need to close in on the players involved, and calmly tell them that the play is over. The third official will the oversee the rest of the players. Do not be in a hurry to leave the action of the players.  Timeouts: once the timeout has been granted, watch the players as they head to their respective benches, especially if they have to cross each other's paths on the way. Be a pest when reminding teams not to be late getting out of the huddle at the end of the timeout period.  If you do put the ball down on the floor for one team being tardy, remember to do the same against the other team, if warranted.

As officials, we have a tendency to rest mentally, instead of resting physically. The center official can be the "crew saver" during free throws, because they do not get involved with players and coaches prior to the attempts. The center official should ensure that the bottom spaces are properly occupied, the correct shooter is at the line, and not allow players to talk to with bench personnel below the foul line extended. On release, be prepared to observe the players entering the restricted areas too soon, especially from beyond the arc or by the shooter chasing a bad shot.

If you have a situation where a live-ball foul is then followed by a dead-ball technical, the crew should communicate amongst themselves prior to reporting to the table. Once you get the teams separated, and preferably sent to their respective benches, the officials should do a "dress rehearsal" as to the order of the fouls, the numbers of the players that fouled, the numbers of the players who will shoot free throws, the number of shots for each, and where the ball and which team will the ball be put in play following all of the free throws. Take as much time as you need to sort it all out before you go the table. This will enable you to report the facts in a clear and concise manner while hopefully not confusing the official scorer and/or the public address announcer.

If you know that your partner has erred on an OOB call, do not be afraid to go to them with information. Do not go running at them, blowing your whistle after the play, drawing undo attention to the situation. Walk briskly toward the calling official, and in a calm and quiet voice, offer your 115% correct opinion as to whom the ball went OOB against. This will give the calling official the option of taking your info, or staying with their original call. If the call is changed, it should be done mechanically by the calling official, not the one offering the new information. Most officials will change their call because they know their partners would not come to them unless they are 115% sure it needs to be corrected. Bottom line, swallow your ego, and let's get the play right!

Remember the old adage that says "they always remember how you finished, not how you started". Coaches complain most about what we do during the last 2 minutes than any other time of the game. In a close game, every possession is extremely important during this time period. If we have not made a three second or an illegal screen call in the first 30 minutes, it most likely does not to be need to be called in the last 2 minutes. If called, it will stick out like a sore thumb because it did not "fit" the game, because due to what we had passed on earlier in the game. Every call in the last 2 minutes should have a high degree of certainty to it. After the game, if we go look at it on tape, we shouldn't have to rerun it three times to find the call. We should not insert ourselves into the game for a call at this time, unless we have made that call earlier.