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The Most Important Form of Official
Communication: The Pre-Game Conference
By Carl A. Dudley
I.A.A.B.O. Board 134 member
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In the years of officiating I’ve
experienced, the camps I’ve attended, and in the
discussions I’ve had with fellow officials, I can’t
remember how many different times I’ve heard “that
one series of no-calls or incorrect calls can destroy a good
game of basketball.” If you do not believe that single
statement, then you have experienced absolute success in
officiating all of your games. In reality, there is no such
thing as ABSOLUTE success in officiating because the human
element comes into play with all judgements that are made
during the game. A famous philosopher has stated “to err
is to be human.”
Throughout the many mentoring moments I
have experienced, I have always, always heard that the
officials’ pre-game conference was the most important
form of official communication a team of officials can have.
The pre-game conference is the easiest communication technique
that can be used to prevent errors in officiating the game
effectively and avoid “muck ups.”
Allow me to share with you how a simple
error and a no-call could have been avoided if the team of
officials could have had a thorough pre-game conference. The
error came in the last :59 seconds of the fourth quarter
during a high school fall league game. Team A was undefeated
and the error, plus a no-call in the last :03 seconds possibly
caused team A to lose the game.
The previous three quarters, seven minutes
and one second of the game were officiated in an excellent
manner. Two of the officials were prominent IAABO officials
with many years of experience. I felt extremely honored to be
on the court with them because it is a dream of mine to
officiate with the best. We didn’t have time to have a
pre-game conference because of circumstances (i.e. traffic,
officials not knowing their schedule and subsequently not
showing up for the game.) With the many years of experience
between the three of us, I believe that we all felt
comfortable with getting on the floor and refereeing the game.
From my perspective, I think they trusted me and I definitely
trusted them.
With this trust in place, the game was
officiated with a high level of excellence for three quarters,
seven minutes and one second. Throughout this time, we did not
experience any major problems that disrupted the flow of the
game. It was smooth. We communicated when we had to and we
made the calls that needed to be called. We were almost
immortal with all of our calls. Then, in an instant, it
happened…we were reminded of our human status…an
error occurred.
Team B was down one point with :59 seconds
left to play and Team A had the ball. Team A violated the
traveling rule in the key and right after the official made
the call, Team B requested and was granted a time out. When
Team B returned, the designated spot was on the end line,
closest to where the traveling violation occurred. B1 was
handed the ball on the designated spot and initiated the
throw-in. The lead official started his visible count and when
he got to the count of two; B2 stepped out of bounds opposite
of B1. B1 threw the ball out from the designated spot to B2
and proceeded to complete the throw-in to B3. B3 drove the
length of the court and scored a lay-up.
Were you able to recognize the error? The
coaches and a few emotional and irritated parents and fans
were able to recognize the error. After Team B scored, there
was some commotion for approximately :53 seconds while Team A
completed the throw-in under Team B’s basket and drove
the length to set up for a last second shot. At this time, :51
seconds had expired and the ball was in front of the lead
official, the lead official was in the same spot where he was
in when the first error occurred. There was an intentional
foul that was not called occurring right in front of the lead
official. Team A had lost the game.
Now, it can’t be described how the
officials felt at the end of the game, however, the official
who committed the error and the no-call felt extremely bad. It
was discovered that Team A was undefeated and the comment I’ve
heard on many occasions materialize right in front of my eyes;
the series of errors and the no-call destroyed a well executed
game by both the officials and players.
After the game, we came together, as you
are supposed to, and discussed the error (i.e. Team B
violating the designated spot rule during the throw-in) and
the no-call. We also discussed how the game was played and
what could be done to prevent being ineffective the next time
we officiated a game. Although the discussion was brief, it
was effective because it sparked other thoughts of
preventative techniques to employ in future officiating. Our
post-game conference strengthened my belief that the pre-game
conference is an excellent communication tool to use to be
effective as a team.
In order for the team of officials to be
effective on the court, the pre-game conference has to happen.
Some sort of discussion has to take place that involves
meaningful dialogue about the game that will be played, the
players and the type of leadership the officials are going to
employ. There are too many times where officials arrive late
to the site and once they get there, there is no conversation
about the game. The conversation is usually about “catching
up” or other issues that may not be relevant to the game.
If there is no conversation concerning the game and the type
of leadership that will be employed, the officials are
preparing for failure. That leaves a lot of room for “muck
ups” or game interrupters to occur because the officials
are not on the same wave length.
First and foremost, officials should try to
arrive at the game site at least one hour prior to the start
of the game. An hour gives officials enough time to get
dressed, stretch out their muscles and have meaningful
dialogue for 45 minutes about how they will leverage their
leadership during the game effectively. If circumstances do
occur that prevent officials from arriving early to the game
site, there are several areas the officials can cover, to
prepare for effectiveness that doesn’t take much time.
At a minimum, the officials should discuss
how they are going to communicate with one another on the
court, the teamwork they will display and how they will hustle
to get in the right position to make the right calls. Besides
the four aspects of on-court officiating, during the pre-game
conference the officials should cover the 2005/2006 new rules.
There are only four changes to the 2005-2006 NFHS rules and if
they are not discussed, the lack of knowledge could possibly
mess up a well executed basketball game.
For example, the rule/penalty change with
the 2005-2006 NFHS definition of team control and the bonus
being in effect during a throw-in can cause trouble during the
last minutes (fourth quarter) of a close match. NFHS Rule 7
Out of Bounds and the Throw-in, Section 5 Throw-in, Resuming
Play, Article 5 states after a player-control foul, a team
control foul or after a common foul prior to the bonus rule
being in effect, any player of the offended team shall make
the throw-in from the designated out-of-bounds spot nearest
the foul. If this rule change is not discussed during pre
game, there is a possibility the officials could place a
shooter on the free throw line amidst the commotion,
adrenaline and prior knowledge of the previous penalty, thus,
the game could be “mucked up.”
During pre-game, two minutes could get the
officials prepared to manage the game by getting the
judgements correct during trying and emotional times of play.
In the scrimmage game, the last :59 seconds is where the game
was soured by not making the correct judgements. In the event
that a foul would have occurred during Team B’s first
throw-in, there was a possibility that things could have gone
array further because of the adrenaline and the lack of a
thorough pre-game conference in setting the proper mindset.
Another rule officials could cover during a
shortened pre-game conference is the intentional foul rule. In
a close match, with seconds ticking down and a team being down
by one or two points, a coaching strategy could be to foul and
stop the clock and make the other team earn their victory by
way of the free throw. NFHS Rule 4 Definitions, Section 19
Foul, Article 3 states that an intentional foul is a personal
or technical foul, which neutralizes an opponent’s
obvious advantageous position. When not making a legitimate
attempt to play the ball, specifically designed to stop or
keep the clock from starting, shall be intentional.
In the pre-game conference, the officials
should assume that the game will be close during the last few
minutes of the fourth quarter and communicate the importance
of making the correct judgement. In many ways, if it is not
discussed, 75% of the time it will not be executed in the
game. In the scrimmage game, Team B was down one point with
three seconds left in the fourth quarter. There was a foul
that was not called by the lead official. There could have
been a debate on the no-call, whether it was an intentional
foul or not, however, the judgement was not made. If the
correct judgement would have been made, it may have made a
huge difference of the outcome of the game.
Although to err is to be human, it is also
human to strive for effectiveness. This desire should be
innate in all officials; a strong desire to prevent errors and
achieve success when on the basketball court. Success in
officiating a well-played game through 32 minutes of play has
been proven time and time again when the officials take the
time to communicate prior to the start of the game.
The pre-game conference is the best
technique to use when officials want to perform well for the
game of basketball, the players, the coaches, the
administrators and the fans. In order to bring out the best in
the officiating team, make the necessary time to conduct a
meaningful pre-game conference before all games this season.
The communication will prevent “muck-ups” from
potentially happening during any game and the officials can
walk away with a tremendous feeling of success in performing
as an effective team of leaders officiating the game! |
