The high school portion of my season starts tomorrow night with Freshman Girl’s doubleheader. I’ve got a few goals for this upcoming season, my second season calling high school games.
1. Rules knowledge
I’m far from knowing all the rules of basketball, and if I’m going to be a varsity official, I need to know the rules as well as I possibly can. I’ve got my rules and case books, so I just need to spend time reading each, and making sure I understand each rule.
2. Improved communication with coaches.
Speaking with coaches seems to be an art form. Being able to answer their questions quickly and concisely is imperative, and I’ve got to get better at that. The kind of verbal volleying that is necessary is a skill. As an official, it’s also necessary to not get into an argument with a coach. Answer his/her question in one or two sentences and move on.
3. Call more off the ball fouls.
This isn’t so much about calling off the ball fouls all the time as it is keeping my eyes where they need to be kept, especially in lead. The off ball contact is more prevalent in boy’s basketball than girl’s, but I need to get better at calling fouls off the ball. Wanting to call more fouls off the ball, my eyes will be forced to be on my primary.
