Long Island District Board # 41

Long Island District Board # 41

Post-Season Officiating Commentary/Reminders

Peter Webb, IAABO Coordinator of Interpreters, has put together a post season memorandum.

The post-season state playoffs and tournament time is nearing.

Each State/Provincial High School Basketball Tournament has a rich history and tradition. It is truly a privilege and honor for an official to be selected as a member of the post-season officiating staff. There are very high expectations of those who serve the state level post regular season play in the role of an official.

A reminder, it is schoolboy and schoolgirl basketball and the official is part of the education process and responsible for assisting the State Association and the member schools in their effort to have youth benefit from participating in this very special athletic experience. SPORTSMANSHIP is a priority factor.

Respect the high school basketball game. Bring your high school officiating package of rules applications, coverage mechanics and signals to the post-season play-offs tournament. Applying other level rules and using unapproved mechanics and signals are a very obvious indication that one does not respect the high school game of basketball and is a disservice to the overall game and to officiating. Join the team!

Consider each assignment strictly confidential. Don’t spread the word.

When you accept an assignment, it must be the only game that you officiate that day.

Arrive at the site dressed professionally. Demonstrate respect for the event and for officiating.

Arrive at the site early, at least one hour and fifteen minutes prior to game time or as per the state association’s directive. Upon arrival, inform the officials’ supervisor/contact person that you are present.

Be prepared! Most things are completely within your control – arrival, appearance, rested, attitude, professionalism, respect for the assignment, be accountable, review the high school package of rules, mechanics and signals. You control your chance of being assigned another game or of being selected to the officiating staff another year.

A very thorough Pre-Game Conference is a must, be thorough! In multi-game days, be in the dressing room not later than the start of the second half of the prior game. The IAABO pre-game card can serve the Referee well as a guide. Leave the dressing room feeling professionally prepared and ready for the task at hand.

Referee - be thorough and professional with scorer and timer instructions. Don’t take things for granted because it is a tournament setting. The on the court crew and the scorer and timer crew communication is vital.

Referee - pre-game head Coach and captains meeting is a key “first impression” – be prepared, be professional, be sharp & crisp, be thorough but brief (the essentials).

Throughout the game have the utmost respect and compassion for players and head coaches yet expect rule abiding conduct. Penalize non-rule abiding conduct.

Don’t be over emphatic when making rulings regarding time-out requests; blocking or charging fouls; team control fouls; good goal as in continuous motion/act of shooting situations, etc. These are not special situations. They are simply another ruling that you have made. React professionally and demonstrate composure.

Enforce the rules, all rules. That is what fair play is all about. Officials don’t set aside the travel rule or the out-of-bounds rule, why set aside the disconcertion rule, grasping the ring rule, the behavior rule, etc. When those rules are not legally met by a player or coach, apply the penalty. Do it NOW, don’t fret, don’t put it on hold and don’t worry about it. It can haunt you and it can come back to haunt the game. Eliminate the issue. The game is better off when rules are enforced. While intending to be “good”, by warning, ignoring, etc., to that particular team, keep in mind the opposing team who is adhering to the rule(s).

Don’t officiate to “stay out of trouble.” Be so prepared, so thorough and good at your officiating that trouble doesn’t find you.

Contact such as bumping, leaning, forearm warding off, hand checking and
displacement contact must be ruled a foul. These actions are not incidental contact. Rather they are actions that illegally assist the player who is causing the contact. That is exactly why he/she is committing the act. Players and teams, both defense and offense, are very seriously affected by such actions. When an official accepts such contact as “part of the game” he/she is affecting the play and as a result the game. The official is not assuring “fair play.” Keep in mind that every contact that goes unattended to encourages more contact. The official can not have his/her version of contact as his/her version of contact may favor one team over the other team. Officiate by the rule and not by a version of the rule.

Demonstrate the pride and professionalism expected of an IAABO official. Apply the rules of the game, work hard, enjoy and benefit from your post-season experience.

"One Rule, One Interpretation"