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Officiating - time to change your tune


MCbobcats
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I know I said I wouldn't post on here again but after all the fun I had officiating a game last night I felt it necessary

I had coached basketball at the junior high and high school level for 22 years.  I have yelled and screamed at officials more times than I want to admit.  Not only as a coach, but as a parent. 

I NEED TO FORMERLY APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF THEM.  This year I decided to pick up the whistle and do it myself.  And yes, I did it because I love the game and for the kids.   HARD doesn’t begin to explain how difficult it is. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT doesn’t do it justice either.   It was much easier from the coaching box and the stands because from there I saw everything through our school colors glasses.

Officials have different areas they are supposed to be covering and they are not always watching the same thing you are.   Sometimes they are blocked by other players and can’t see the play.  Yes I know there are 3 out there and someone should see it but that is not always the case because we are not all looking in the same area.

I can tell you that I have missed calls because I am human and make mistakes. But I can also tell you that I watch film and read to try and get better.  But mistakes are going to happen because we can’t see everything and our angles are not your angles.

Officials are going to make mistakes but from what I have seen none of them are intentional.  Fans screaming don’t help us do our job or help your team.  I am confident  that at some point in my career I embarrassed my kids, my family, myself and  my school for the way I acted and so are you.

I am definitely confident that I embarrassed Jesus and didn’t act like the Christian I am or supposed to be.  So the next time you go to game, you Christians remember who came with you and remember there are other people watching you.

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I have zero doubt that being a ref is a thankless job.

That being said, I don't think anyone in the stands expects perfection.  Competency, ability to make it up and down the court without needing an oxygen tank and just good old consistency is all that is expected.  And, honestly shouldn't be too much to ask.

It's just my opinion but those 3 things are increasingly hard to find.

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It is not too much to ask.   Officials are supposed to be impartial and get the calls right each time, which we sometimes don't but I give it my best effort. 

Consistency - what is consistency?  A foul is a foul is my definition.  I recently watched a game out of our area and every block/charge call was a charge.  I would have to watch the film to be sure but I am fairly certain that all of those calls were not charges.  Is that consistency?  I believe our job is to get the call right.  I have done games where 1 team had 10 fouls and the other 2 and that is based largely on the style of play.  One team is driving to the basket and the other shooting jump shots & 3's.  One is playing man, one zone, style of play matters.  Fans are also looking across the court and most officials are looking up the court so our angles are different so fans often see things we are blocked from seeing.

Having coached there are a lot of people who know me so they feel compelled to call me by name when myself or another official makes a call they don't like.  That should not happen.  People who yell "call it both ways or call it on both ends" are implying that an official is cheating in my mind- I can assure you that is not the case for me.

The most important point I am making, as a Christian, is that I brought Jesus with me to the game and need to act like it.  I got a feeling that if Jesus came in person to a game with a whistle and stripped shirt there are a lot of Christians that would yell at him too, and he would be perfect

 

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On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 1:54 PM, MCbobcats said:

I know I said I wouldn't post on here again but after all the fun I had officiating a game last night I felt it necessary

I had coached basketball at the junior high and high school level for 22 years.  I have yelled and screamed at officials more times than I want to admit.  Not only as a coach, but as a parent. 

 

I NEED TO FORMERLY APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF THEM.  This year I decided to pick up the whistle and do it myself.  And yes, I did it because I love the game and for the kids.   HARD doesn’t begin to explain how difficult it is. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT doesn’t do it justice either.   It was much easier from the coaching box and the stands because from there I saw everything through our school colors glasses.

 

Officials have different areas they are supposed to be covering and they are not always watching the same thing you are.   Sometimes they are blocked by other players and can’t see the play.  Yes I know there are 3 out there and someone should see it but that is not always the case because we are not all looking in the same area.

 

I can tell you that I have missed calls because I am human and make mistakes. But I can also tell you that I watch film and read to try and get better.  But mistakes are going to happen because we can’t see everything and our angles are not your angles.

 

Officials are going to make mistakes but from what I have seen none of them are intentional.  Fans screaming don’t help us do our job or help your team.  I am confident  that at some point in my career I embarrassed my kids, my family, myself and  my school for the way I acted and so are you.

 

I am definitely confident that I embarrassed Jesus and didn’t act like the Christian I am or supposed to be.  So the next time you go to game, you Christians remember who came with you and remember there are other people watching you.

 

 

5 hours ago, MCbobcats said:

It is not too much to ask.   Officials are supposed to be impartial and get the calls right each time, which we sometimes don't but I give it my best effort. 

Consistency - what is consistency?  A foul is a foul is my definition.  I recently watched a game out of our area and every block/charge call was a charge.  I would have to watch the film to be sure but I am fairly certain that all of those calls were not charges.  Is that consistency?  I believe our job is to get the call right.  I have done games where 1 team had 10 fouls and the other 2 and that is based largely on the style of play.  One team is driving to the basket and the other shooting jump shots & 3's.  One is playing man, one zone, style of play matters.  Fans are also looking across the court and most officials are looking up the court so our angles are different so fans often see things we are blocked from seeing.

Having coached there are a lot of people who know me so they feel compelled to call me by name when myself or another official makes a call they don't like.  That should not happen.  People who yell "call it both ways or call it on both ends" are implying that an official is cheating in my mind- I can assure you that is not the case for me.

The most important point I am making, as a Christian, is that I brought Jesus with me to the game and need to act like it.  I got a feeling that if Jesus came in person to a game with a whistle and stripped shirt there are a lot of Christians that would yell at him too, and he would be perfect

 

I do appreciate the points about the angles on the floor. it is from different points of view the officials  and fans see the game. And yes, there are three refs on the floor, each supposedly watching different areas of the floor. Style of play sure. One team is more aggressive with a press than another. Man to man versus a zone.

But, a hand check on one side of the half court line is a hand check on the other. Using an arm to push the defender on a drive to the goal is applicable to both teams. When style of play is the same, variations of the calls should not be in opposite directions.  That's the point being made of the consistency. Its the same call for the same violation. No one expects the perfect game to be officiated. But as an official you not doing yourself any favors when you do not even try to run the floor to get yourself in a spot to be properly positioned. Instead of thinking folks are implying your cheating or favoring one team over the other when they say call both ways, maybe you should ask if you are indeed calling the same type of game for both teams. You want to say that you have a  different angle and see the game different than the fans and that's a good point. But the fans have a different angle too and can see things from a different angle as you. What makes your angle any better than theirs? I know the striped shirt does. But you saddled up the horse and asked for the gig. You are implying that the whistle says you know more about the game than anyone in the house except the other two who have whistles with you in stripes. But that's not the case. There are some people at every game that have a pretty darn good idea about the rules and how the game is played.

I truly wished every official, coach, player, fan and Mommy and Daddy would bring your Christianly attitude to each contest. It is a value we have tried to impart to both our squads and have taken some flak about the kids desire to have a team prayer after each game at center court and invite their competitors to take part in win or lose.  I wish more of your fellow officials brought that to the gym also. There is one guy who every time he is on the floor is going to call a technical because he can. One who yells at the coach across the floor to the point of getting red in his face and hair on his neck standing up while play is going on when the coach is talking to another ref. One who jogs the floor blowing his bubble gum and looking in the stands while the ball gets dribbled right by him. One who does not even let the player on an inbounds play get turned around before he hands the ball to them. One who does not even try to get down the floor to see the play because of age and physical condition. But each one will tell you that they know more about the game than you or you can get out there too. There's no pride in the job they are doing just a bee line to the assistant principal to get their check at the last horn.

 

Edited by DCDadCoachFan
wrong word
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If I implied the following I didn't mean too

From your post

" What makes your angle any better than theirs? I know the striped shirt does. But you saddled up the horse and asked for the gig. You are implying that the whistle says you know more about the game than anyone in the house except the other two who have whistles with you in stripes. But that's not the case. There are some people at every game that have a pretty darn good idea about the rules and how the game is played. "

No where in my posts do I imply that I know more or that my partners do.  I am sure there are fans that are very knowledgeable and even some that more knowledgeable than me.  But where does that knowledge give a fan or a parent the right to berate an official.  Just because they think they are "right"

I am doing the best I can do and working to get better at it.  Your post points out all the bad things you have seen and I hope you have also seen some good things. 

 

MY post has one message - IF you are a Christian and come to a game, act like a Christian because Jesus is right there with you.

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On 1/24/2018 at 1:54 PM, MCbobcats said:

 

I know I said I wouldn't post on here again but after all the fun I had officiating a game last night I felt it necessary

I had coached basketball at the junior high and high school level for 22 years.  I have yelled and screamed at officials more times than I want to admit.  Not only as a coach, but as a parent. 

 

I NEED TO FORMERLY APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF THEM.  This year I decided to pick up the whistle and do it myself.  And yes, I did it because I love the game and for the kids.   HARD doesn’t begin to explain how difficult it is. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT doesn’t do it justice either.   It was much easier from the coaching box and the stands because from there I saw everything through our school colors glasses.

 

Officials have different areas they are supposed to be covering and they are not always watching the same thing you are.   Sometimes they are blocked by other players and can’t see the play.  Yes I know there are 3 out there and someone should see it but that is not always the case because we are not all looking in the same area.

 

I can tell you that I have missed calls because I am human and make mistakes. But I can also tell you that I watch film and read to try and get better.  But mistakes are going to happen because we can’t see everything and our angles are not your angles.

 

Officials are going to make mistakes but from what I have seen none of them are intentional.  Fans screaming don’t help us do our job or help your team.  I am confident  that at some point in my career I embarrassed my kids, my family, myself and  my school for the way I acted and so are you.

 

I am definitely confident that I embarrassed Jesus and didn’t act like the Christian I am or supposed to be.  So the next time you go to game, you Christians remember who came with you and remember there are other people watching you.

 

I totally agree with you on everything you stated in your post.  I've coached basketball for a number of years before becoming an official.  

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19 hours ago, MCbobcats said:

If I implied the following I didn't mean too

From your post

" What makes your angle any better than theirs? I know the striped shirt does. But you saddled up the horse and asked for the gig. You are implying that the whistle says you know more about the game than anyone in the house except the other two who have whistles with you in stripes. But that's not the case. There are some people at every game that have a pretty darn good idea about the rules and how the game is played. "

No where in my posts do I imply that I know more or that my partners do.  I am sure there are fans that are very knowledgeable and even some that more knowledgeable than me.  But where does that knowledge give a fan or a parent the right to berate an official.  Just because they think they are "right"

I am doing the best I can do and working to get better at it.  Your post points out all the bad things you have seen and I hope you have also seen some good things. 

 

MY post has one message - IF you are a Christian and come to a game, act like a Christian because Jesus is right there with you.

But you do imply with your comments when people make the ask for it be called both ways that you say they are implying you are cheating.  You are mistaken. I hope they are not saying that the ref on the floor is so bad that he would favor one team or player over the other but rather are asking for consistency ( theres that word again) which I have been talking about for a few weeks.

 

I guess in a world of participation trophies (lukewarm) the kids, players, coaches, fans, parents, schools, tssaa and other officials should settle for mediocrity and accept substandard officiating.  Your post call for a Christian attitude at a game. That I agree. But that's the only thing we seem to be able to agree on.

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On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 9:02 AM, MCbobcats said:

It is not too much to ask.   Officials are supposed to be impartial and get the calls right each time, which we sometimes don't but I give it my best effort. 

Consistency - what is consistency?  A foul is a foul is my definition.  I recently watched a game out of our area and every block/charge call was a charge.  I would have to watch the film to be sure but I am fairly certain that all of those calls were not charges.  Is that consistency?  I believe our job is to get the call right.  I have done games where 1 team had 10 fouls and the other 2 and that is based largely on the style of play.  One team is driving to the basket and the other shooting jump shots & 3's.  One is playing man, one zone, style of play matters.  Fans are also looking across the court and most officials are looking up the court so our angles are different so fans often see things we are blocked from seeing.

Having coached there are a lot of people who know me so they feel compelled to call me by name when myself or another official makes a call they don't like.  That should not happen.  People who yell "call it both ways or call it on both ends" are implying that an official is cheating in my mind- I can assure you that is not the case for me.

The most important point I am making, as a Christian, is that I brought Jesus with me to the game and need to act like it.  I got a feeling that if Jesus came in person to a game with a whistle and stripped shirt there are a lot of Christians that would yell at him too, and he would be perfect

 

The consistency issue that bothers me is when one team is hand checking and the other team is too and only one team gets called for hand checking,  Illegal screens are the same way,  If I notice my refereeing partner just called a hand check on the Red team, then when the White team is hand checking, I shouldn't ignore.

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I believe I addressed the consistency factor - A foul is a foul and should be called regardless of which team it is on.

Calling officials by name should never happen.   Posts on FB by church people encouraging fans to yell at officials and posting pictures on FB implying the officials were cheating for a team is not okay.    This is not the example we should be setting 

Edited by MCbobcats
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