Tue, 02 Jun 2026 02:12:03 -0500WeeblyThu, 23 Jul 2015 21:22:34 GMThttp://www.nhsoahome.org/blog/listening-skill-tipOne thing that gets officials in trouble is the perception of being stubborn. Coaches and players generally react poorly to the arrogant referee that defends a bad call aggressively, who uses threats of technicals, or dismissive body language towards them when they get questioned. Nobody wins in those situations.

I recently heard a great quote in a leadership course that will be in my head next year:

"Learn to listen as though you are wrong."

That simple statement will force you to try to see the other person's point of view, and one of two good things can happen:

1. You could be convinced that you were wrong, and can either fix it or 'fess up to it.
2. You can explain yourself in a more tactful way that will be accepted by the coach or player and avoid escalation. "Gee, if I was standing where you were, that's exactly what I would have seen. But I was at a different angle, and probably had a better look than you did. Trust me, I'm pretty sure I got that one right."

Option #1 is being strong enough to admit a mistake or a weak call, and fix a potential administrative error. Option #2 is just good customer service. If your ego can handle these options, you'll be a much better official and steward of the game. ]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2015 20:54:34 GMThttp://www.nhsoahome.org/blog/the-islandThe last couple of years, I have gotten a lot of questions about how to advance and move up the food chain as a basketball referee.  One of the main things a new official or up-and-comer needs is to stay off The Island.  People who want to be good leads or R's is to not only keep yourself off the island, but try and keep your partners off, or get them off of there as quickly and quietly as you can.

You get on the island when you bring a lot of attention to yourself.  There are only a few times when being on The Island is a good thing for you, and that is only when it is recognized by almost everyone that you're doing a great thing for the game.  Examples:

1.  Calling any non-basketball play as a foul.
2.  Calling a bad screen, especially the first one of a game, and the earlier the better.
3.  Calling a chuck or hold on a cutter, especially when it results in a turnover or prevents a likely basket.
4.  Getting a goal tend or basket interference correctly.
5.  Identifying and fixing a shot clock/game clock error.
6.  Fixing a missed out-of-bounds or 2/3 point basket call.

Some of these are subjective, but being honest with yourself, you know when you've done these right.  So does everyone else in the gym.

The list of ways to get on The Island that hurt you is endless.  Most of the time, you miss an obvious call.  You have to minimize those instances anyway.  Learn from your mistakes.  Here is a short list of things I see occur on a regular basis that puts officials on The Island:

1.  Calling a violation that didn't happen or was not visible to most of the gym.
2.  Several bodies on the ground with no whistle.
3.  Making a ticky-tack call when others are allowing more contact.
4.  Passing on a foul, and compensating by awarding an out-of-bounds to the team that got fouled.
5.  Making an obscure call that doesn't get called often and you have to explain to offending player(s)/coach.
6.  Calling right in front of a partner.

Lots of guys are great officials, and they are real tough guys with the coaches that yell at them a lot.  Just ask them.  They are also frequent residents of The Island.

We talk a lot about teamwork and being on the same page.  That means we work together to keep each other off The Island.  Some guys relish it:  they either have an insatiable need for the attention it brings (even bad attention is good attention) or they feel that when partners get stuck on The Island, they personally benefit from it.

Newer guys, think about this, and learn to stay off the island.  Unless you have a personal relationship with the players/coach, The Island is a bad place for you, and if you spend much time there, it may be impossible to really be seen as a great official.  Memories of officials being on The Island last a long time with some coaches.  Sometimes forever.  Calls I made a few years ago that would have marooned me without water on The Island, I can now make with little consequence, because of the combination of knowing the context and my standing with the coaches and players.  I know the time and place to make those calls--most of the time.  And when I put myself on The Island, which I still do more than I like, I make sure I do not stay there for long.  I focus and get those high certainty calls for the next several minutes instead of dwelling on past calls.

Veterans can use that first set to gauge whether they need to be there or not.  I can tell you from experience, that sage use of that first set will make you a good R.  You also need to counsel your team to do whatever you can to keep your partners off of The Island, because it makes it a lot easier on you.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do.  But remembering this analogy may be helpful to you.  We all talk about missed calls and pissed coaches, but some people have a knack for getting put in jail, and others have a knack for getting away with it.  It all boils down to staying off The Island as an individual, and a crew. ]]>Mon, 08 Jun 2015 03:27:20 GMThttp://www.nhsoahome.org/blog/lazy-days-of-summerTime for off season basketball. That means wearing shorts, working summer ball, and dealing with adult leagues where some of the games are downright brutal. It's also a time for complacency. Everyone complains about it. Adult players are a pain to deal with, kids don't really care about playing, table people stink, the pay is bad...the list goes on and on.

One of the biggest gripes is how it can hurt your officiating because people don't use good mechanics. I find that pretty funny. During rec leagues or summer games, there are plenty of people who Cadillac it. They loaf down the court, don't blow the whistle much, and just don't put in their best effort. They're no different than players who dog it at practice to "save it for the game".

Every time you step on a court, you need to perform. Earn your money. Earn the respect of the players and coaches.

Here are some thoughts to consider about working the long off season:

1. You can always use great mechanics. If you think your mechanics need work, by all means work on them. If nobody else is doing them, who cares? For myself, I believe I have pretty good mechanics, and to be honest, there are times when I don't exhibit full-bore reporting/rotating mechanics in mundane off season games, but I never let it bleed anywhere else in my game. You still have to communicate with everyone.

2. You need to hustle. If you cannot physically hustle, or just cannot get up emotionally to give your best physical effort, don't do the games. There is never an excuse for not hustling and earning your check. Lots of guys get lazy during the summer. Eventually, almost all of them get lazy during the regular season. Don't do it.

3. This should be #1. Work on your judgment. You can watch kids playing pickup and work on your judgment. The more reps you get, the more situations you see, the better prepared you'll be to make judgment calls. Work on never guessing. Work on passing when there is no advantage/disadvantage. If you blow the whistle a lot, work on letting more go. If you let them play, trying blowing it more. By the way, if you are not hustling and being lazy, you're not helping your judgment.

4. Try some new stuff. Take different approaches with players, especially adults. Try different lines on coaches. Try a different persona. I have found a lot of things that don't work for me during off season games, but I have learned a lot about how to deal with emotional players during adult leagues. Trying to work in other techniques and styles that you admire in others and seeing if they work in your game is a great way to continue to improve. Offseason games allow you to do that in a less formal setting, especially when integration may be a little awkward and feel funny.

5. Don't worry about your partners. If they are not taking it seriously, and are going through the motions, just focus on yourself.

There should be little difference between regular season games and off season games. Every game is important to the players, coaches, and parents. They all pay money to play, and pay you to officiate for them. Don't be the guy that tries to do everything the right way from November to March, and then becomes the lazy object of scorn that never crosses half-court, wants to avoid the bonus at all costs because it's just a summer game, and let players deck each other without penalty because they're dreaming about spending that $15 a game at Wal-Mart on the fishing pole they've been saving for.

And don't ever use anything as an excuse to not try and get better every time you put the shirt on. Someone is always watching. ]]>Mon, 25 May 2015 17:28:35 GMThttp://www.nhsoahome.org/blog/5-reasons-to-go-to-a-referee-campAfter the season finishes, I usually have a small break both mentally and physically. I try to stay away for a while to recharge my batteries after the long series of games.

But then, I think the best thing I can do is to go to a summer camp! Why do I think it’s good to go to a camp? Here are my 5 best reasons.

LEARN ABOUT NEW TRENDS IN OFFICIATING Officiating, like any sports, is a highly competitive and changing area, where new perspectives and new trends arise from time to time. If you want to keep on improving to become a top referee, you want to know these new trends on time, so you can be an early adopter. Also, you can help others by telling them about these new directions.

MEET A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE Usually, there are a lot of like-minded people who gather in a camp. Maybe you will become referees together, or you will just meet some day. Either way, you will benefit from having good memories together already. You can also learn how to socialize in these events, so you can develop yourself in this area that is crucial if you want to become a top referee some day, or just want to stay on the top.

YOU CAN NETWORK If you go to a camp, where prominent leaders of the officiating world can see you, you can harvest the greatest benefits one can get from a summer camp. Important people can meet you and see how you officiate. You have the chance to introduce yourself. It will count when it’s the most important.

VISIT A NICE PLACE You can go to a nice place, visit nice gyms, drink coffee in the morning sun with smiling faces. It is a vacation with a great benefit: you will be a better referee at the same time.

GET EXTREMELY VALUABLE FEEDBACK Sometimes it’s not easy to see ourselves as we really are, and if you are an open person, you always look for valuable feedback from people you can trust. You can build upon these words later, and you can make a giant step towards being a top referee in each summer camp.

Big names from the referee world will give you feedback about every minute of your officiating by studying the tape together, which is invaluable for every referee who wants to improve.

You can only win if you go, and you definitely lose a lot of opportunities if you miss out!]]>