Here @refereerant, we always knew at some point other officials would tell their stories. It’s been evident that we all have something to say, especially on the Rant. Each weekend, we will be having wisdom from other sources. This week, we have a special post on Assignor Plays by Nick D’Amato, Elite High School. and Division III College Official. His wisdom, below:
As an official we all bring our own backgrounds and philosophies, especially when it comes to Basketball. Some of us may ascribe to the, “let them play” philosophy, believing that the game is at it’s best when players decide it’s outcome, free from the pesky whistles of overzealous partners. While others may believe that the rules-are-rules and should be called us such, even when it means taking the best player off of the floor late in the game for a foul that’s impact on a marginal play.
Whatever YOUR philosophy is, the hard reality is this:
While it is okay to see game through your OWN eyes, and having a core philosophy can be beneficial in how you officiate, our assignors exercise absolute control over our officiating careers. Early in my career, I was frustrated as I saw Assignors, Interpreters, and Commissioners stand in front of countless meetings and talk about how we as an Association needed to change our mentality and call the game differently.
They preached about how players, coaches, and administrators alike wanted the game called differently, and you only need to go back to the pre-Malice At The Palace NBA or the the Big East battles of the 2000’s to understand why. Yet for all their lecturing, and in some cases screaming and cursing, the same officials continued to get all the big games. It felt as though the assignors couldn’t understand why the game continued to be called the same way, despite the fact it was being called by the same people.
Conversely, stubborn refusal to change our philosophy can hinder many young officials. Continuing to refuse to adapt our games can look like inability at best, and at worst make us look arrogant, dismissive of feedback and like someone who is just out there to cash a check.
Over my career, I have developed categories of what I call “Assignor Plays.” These are calls that may be marginal or 50-50 calls, but assignors have made clear they want it called a certain way. THAT WAY. Especially as access to film and live-streaming of games is becoming ubiquitously available, these plays can be critical in an Assignor’s perception of you. Gone are the days when only the most egregious of missed or blown calls would draw a phone call from an upset Athletic Director. Today, a call that most in a gym seems like a 50-50 call, seen from your assignors couch can lead to questioning texts or mass e-mails to your entire association. Recognize these plays and adjusting your game accordingly is as important as ever.
“Crash Plays” & Flops
“Flopping” has filtered down from the highest level of basketball and has trickled to the Middle School level. But these plays can often elicit extreme reactions from coaches and fans, particularly parents who see their children as they lay on the ground.
Is you assigner okay with a no-call on a “crash play” with bodies on the ground? These plays can look terrible on film, particularly if the film has a bad angle on it. What looks like a clear flop from your position at full speed can look particularly bad on film.
Would your assigner prefer you put a block on a defender flopping to the ground? Putting a whistle on that play can be a recognition that something happened. Especially with young officials, there can often be doubt whether something is a conscious no-call or simply failing to recognize that a play that needs a whistle has happened. In addition, a defender putting themself on the ground can put other players at risk, many assignors may want to see these acts penalized to discourage them moving forward.
There is a rule book case for a technical foul for flopping. Does your assigner subscribe to this theory? If this is an epidemic in your league or area, or if there has been an injury as a result of players throwing themselves to the floor, assignors may want this play penalized in the strongest way allowable by the rules.
Traveling/Violations
The game has sped up even at the lower levels. Violations can be harder to recognize than ever before as players attempt to make athletic plays to get to the basket.
Is your assigner concerned that violations have increased in your league? Are players, particularly at lower levels, not learning what violations are to the point where they are surprised when the same plays they’ve been making at lower levels are called at higher levels?
On the flip side, basketball at all levels emphasizes game flow and freedom of movement. Would your assigner prefer that you only put whistles on obvious violations or calls you are 100% sure on? Particularly at lower levels, a game can lack flow and drag on if officials are putting whistles on every potential violation. Is it worth turning the ball over on what could possibly just be an athletic player making a quick basketball play? Your assigner may have a philosophy on these plays.
Coach Behavior
How does your assignor want unsporting behavior addressed in your area? As unsporting behavior and contentious behavior towards refs trickles down to lower levels, what is your assignors philosophy?
Your assignor may want a very clear line drawn in the sand. Are there coaches in your area that everyone knows frequently overstep the line, but rarely ever receive warnings or technical fouls? Is there an expectation that adult coaches serve as role models for the young men and women on the court? Does the coaches behavior incite unsporting behavior from their players or fans that can lead to larger incidents? If these incidents are happening in your area, your assignor may be looking for someone to go into these gyms and address and penalize unsporting behavior.
On the other end, some assignors may only want to see technical fouls that can be strongly supported by film, or that everyone in the gym knows why that player or coach got a technical foul. This may mean that if coaches are making unsporting statements quietly or without theatrics, you may have to take it for that game. Similarly, it may require you to be judicious about approaching coaches. If you walk over to a coach, even in a good-faith effort to answer a question or deescalate a situation and wind up issuing a technical foul, it can look like you baited the coach. If this is your assignors philosophy, you may want to hesitate before acknowledging a coach, or make sure that the film is going to show you clearly giving a warning for the coach to stop the behavior (a stop sign) or attempting to walk away prior to giving a technical foul. On the flip side, you may need to be more aware of a coaches physical action, such as jumping up and down outside the coaches box as potentially meriting a technical foul or warning.
Moving up the ranks in officiating can be difficult, and one of the best things you can do to improve as an official is to see plays. All of these things may seem difficult to consider in the moment, but with reps and a conscious effort to learn what your assignor is looking for, these plays can become easier to officiate.
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IG: @Nickdamato3290
Twitter: @Ndamato3290
