Issue 22, December 15, 2001
MACBOA Newsletter

In this Issue:

• Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials (Donnee L. Gray)
• 2000-01 MD Juco Accomplishments
• Article: It's a Block. It's a Charge. Oh No! It's a Blarge! By Jeff Janosik
• Prime Outlets Discount Coupon in the "Members Only" area!
• Special Book Offer, The NCAA Rules Index (Al Battista)
• "Members Only" section: Staff Directory Updated
• College/University Travel Directions Uploaded
• Check the Bulletins area for current NCAA Memos
• New MACBOA-logo Fox-40 Classic Whistles (with free lanyard)
• Member News and Accomplishments
• MACBOA Volunteers
• Newsletter Contact/Information

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials
Donnee L. Gray

TO Officials:
1) Concerns have been minimal which is a real credit to the job that MACBOA officials are doing. Thank you.

Some thoughts:

• Be at the game site 1.5 hours before game time.
  
  
• The assigned Crew Chief should check with their crews and confirm game times, travel, etc. Crew Chiefs are responsible for reviewing the points of emphasis and current NCAA Officiating Memos before each assignment. MACBOA works hard to upload current information at www.macboa.org for officials to review in a timely manner. Reminder that team or coach style of play will not dictate officiating guidelines. There is no excuse for kicking a rule. Officials must work their primary area but be alert to help their fellow official(s).
  
  
• Officials must be prepared mentally and physically. Be alert and ready at the start of the game. In reviewing all of the Crew Chief game reports, there seems to be a tendency that it takes staff 5 minutes to get in the flow of the game. Warm up and stretch before the game starts. Teams are playing hard from the opening tip. If the officiating crew is going to be the best team on the floor, we have to get off to a good start. Focus and concentrate on refereeing strong from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
  
  
• Professionalism is to be maintained at all times. Be approachable. When responding to a coach be direct, short and professional.
  
  
• We seem to have no problem getting on the floor in plenty of time before the game, but I have seen too many instances officials running on the floor after half time and just beating the horn. It looks unprofessional and doesn't give you time to be mentally ready for the second half throw in. Have game mgmt inform your crew 4 minutes before the half ends. PLEASE BE ON THE FLOOR AT THE 3 MINUTE MARK.
  
  
• Call me at 301-283-6807 if you have a scheduling problem. We can work out just about anything as long as you level with me.
  
  
• Be safe in your travels. Plan your travel accordingly as weather and road construction impact arrival times. If you will be arriving later than the required arrival time, you are required to call the institution and notify them of your situation.
  
  
• If you know anyone interested in being considered for MACBOA staff next season, or know of a young official who could benefit from attending camp, please contact or have them contact me at 301-283-6807 or via e-mail at dgray@macboa.org. The Time Out Referee School will be held at The American University (www.american.edu), Washington, D.C. The school/camp is tentatively scheduled for the second weekend in July. The Time Out Referee School includes lectures, demonstrations, films and video viewing of on-court officiating during top-level basketball competition. The staff will work with each attendee individually to provide team and leadership skills. After being observed at Time Out Referee School by various collegiate supervisors, participants of the school have been selected to work higher level basketball. Further details will follow. Officials returning to the staff next season and selected to attend camp will be notified.
  
  
• The MACBOA family wishes each of you a wonderful holiday season.

MACBOA wishes to recognize the following MD Juco accomplishments:

2000-2001 Men's Champion: Cecil Community College
2000-2001 Coach of the Year: Bill Lewit, Cecil

2000-2001 Tournament Most Valuable Player: Malik Wallace - Allegany College of MD

2000-2001 Men's All Tournament Team
Robert Hall - Garrett Community College
Jareem Dowling - Cecil Community College
Jimmy Moore - Baltimore City Community College
Donte Patterson - Baltimore City Community College
Sean Johnson - Allegany College of MD
Malik Wallace - Allegany College of MD

First Team
Second Team
Eric Branham - Hagerstown
Anthony Breland - Catonsville
Gordy Clark - Frederick
Jerome Coleman - Cecil
Bryant Hunt - Takoma Park
Jimmy Moore - Baltimore
Ryan Randle - Allegany
Dominic Robinson - Chesapeake
Terrell Ross- Allegany
Terry Taylor - Allegany
Brandon DeShield - Hagerstown
Kortaa Hall - Garrett
Rob Hall - Garrett
Jontae Harrington - Garrett
David Hawkins - Harford
Toby Jackson - Rockville
Donta Patterson - Baltimore
Malik Wallace - Allegany
Anthony Williams - Germantown
Burgess Williams - Prince George's

2000-2001 Women's Champion: Prince George's
2000-2001 Coach of the Year: Barvenia Wooten-Collier, Prince George's

First Team
Nekm Ifejika - College of Southern MD
Dani Thomas - Frederick Comm. Coll.
Angelique Weston - Prince George's Comm. Coll.
Natasha Denny - College of Southern MD
Angel McNatt - Montgomery College Takoma Park

Second Team
Shawanda Hadrick - Chesapeake Comm. Coll.
LaTayna Eldridge - CCBC Catonsville
Crystal Rogers - Cecil Comm. Coll.
Sharonda Bailey - CCBC Essex
JoAnna Eyere - Comtgomery College Rockville

MD JUCO Women's All Tournament Team
Nekm Ifejika - College of Southern MD
Natasha Denny - College of Southern MD
Mindy Luckett - Frederick Comm. College
Kiwanda Davis - Prince George's Comm College
Joy Hyman - CCBC Catonsville
Joy Mascetti - Prince George's Comm. College
Ieshia Saunders - Cecil Comm. College
JoEllen Kitt - Garrett Comm. College
Crystal Rogers - Cecil Comm. College
LaTayna Eldridge - CCBC Catonsville

Honorable Mention All Conf.
Alice Gaines - Montgomery Takoma Park
Delayne Buckley - College of Southern MD
JoEllen Kitt - Garrett Comm. College
Brooke Russ - Hagerstown Comm. College
Kiwanda Davis - Prince George's Comm Coll
Mindy Luckett - Frederick Comm. College
Natoya Howard - Montgomery Coll. Rockville
Tope Ogunniyi - Montgomery Coll. Rockville
Misty Hollenshead - Allegany College of MD
Laura Jobe - Frederick Comm Coll

MVP -
Dani Thomas
Frederick Comm. College

It's a Block. It's a Charge. Oh No! It's a Blarge!
by Jeff Janosik

The dynamics inherent to the game of basketball often lead to contests having a fast-paced tempo and a highly intense atmosphere. Therefore, basketball officials must be up to the many on-court challenges, both physically and mentally!

Arguably, the toughest call in basketball is the block/charge. When deciding whether to call a blocking foul on the defense or a player control (or charging) foul on the offense during a scoring attempt, a basketball official must "simply" answer the question, "Did the defensive player establish legal guarding position prior to the offensive player initiating the act of shooting?" A studious basketball official can recite from memory the definitions of "legal guarding position" – having both feet on the floor and facing his opponent, and "act of shooting" – the habitual throwing motion that precedes the release of the ball. Understanding these two crucial definitions sets the foundation for basketball officials in making the correct block or charge call.

The speed and deftness of today's players, impending physical contact (which can be quite severe), reactions from coaches and fans, counting or disallowing points, awarding free throws, potential momentum shift, and even the animated block or player control foul mechanic - all contribute to the fervor of the block/charge play. The combination of these factors alone is enough to wreak havoc, potentially. But what happens when two officials have different calls on the same block/charge play? Yikes!

For those basketball officials who have yet to experience this added caveat to the block/charge play, well, it's only a matter of time before they do. This nauseating dilemma is loosely referred to as the dreaded "Blarge" situation, when simultaneous whistles occur with one official calling a blocking foul against the defense and another official calling a player control (or charging) foul on the offense - for the same two-player match-up. Theoretically, it should never happen. Theories, however, do not always hold true in reality! The "Blarge" play seldom happens, but when it does, it must be managed appropriately (and swiftly) and the respective officials should discuss the play in their post-game analysis.

Managing the "Blarge."

The "Blarge" can be very embarrassing to officials, especially if both report their calls to the scorer's table without seeing each other do so! Having both outcomes called by two officials on the same play also contributes to added confusion, administrative clutter, possible dissension among the officiating crew, prolonged delay, and decreased confidence in the officials among other game participants.

Of course, coaches, players, and fans desire the call that favors their team. As always, basketball officials are the honest brokers on the court. Therefore, once each official has made a preliminary signal (block or player control/charging), they are committed to report each foul, thereby causing a double personal foul situation. [Note: SEE 2002 NCAA Rules 4-26, 9. and 10-22]. After each official has committed, converging to briefly discuss the play and choosing only one foul will surely make a bad situation worse. The "Blarge" is unwelcome at any point of a contest, but is especially undesirable if it occurs during the waning moments of a close ballgame. If the fallout results in one of the two players becoming disqualified or changing a key (last second) team possession – it can really be a messy situation for the officiating crew!

So, it behooves officials to be knowledgeable of existing, time-tested measures that help prevent the "Blarge," and include them in their pre-game (especially when working together for the first time). These precautions, which are commonly accepted among basketball officials, are germane to a wide-spectrum of basketball officiating issues. Basketball officials that fully adhere to these precautions make the likelihood of experiencing the "Blarge" remote, at best.

Precautions of a "Blarge."

There are no substitutes for experience and effective training. A basketball official must have the will to not only become individually proficient, but also add to the cohesiveness of an officiating crew. To foster unison as the "third team on the court," each officiating crewmember should be cognizant of and adhere to the unofficial "Four Tenets" of basketball officiating: Stay in Your Primary, Trust Your Partner, Referee the Defense, and Call the Obvious. In doing so, each game will be officiated in an efficient and "Blarge-free" manner (in theory, at least!).

Tenet I. Stay in Your Primary.

First and foremost, officials should focus on their primary zone of coverage when in the lead, center, or trail position. Equally important is understanding their responsibilities for primary and secondary coverage. When expanding their focus to their secondary zone of coverage, officials should give their respective partner (who has primary coverage) the first opportunity to make a call. On block/charge situations, officials must see the entire play while being conscious of who has primary coverage. If the primary official passed on a foul call, then the off official must decide: Was a clear advantage gained? If, after seeing the play from a different angle, the off official determines the answer to be yes - then a call should be made. The primary official is normally closest to the play, so making a call from secondary coverage will often require the off official to "sell" the call. The off official should make eye contact with his partner, pause or avoid displaying a preliminary signal, then report the foul.

[Note: Center and trail officials should delay or avoid giving a preliminary signal during those plays when a double whistle with the lead official is likely. The lead official does not have the benefit of seeing a wide-angle view of the front court, as the center and trail officials do.]

[Note: A general rule is that if two or more bodies fall to the floor (especially in the post), then a call should be made.]

Tenet II. Trust Your Partner.

Trusting your partner's ability to make or pass on calls is crucial to effective teamwork. Basketball officials do not care to "reward" any player or embarrass a fellow official; they just want to make correct calls. There are times during a basketball game when officials will call infractions in another official's primary area. The primary official may have been screened, did not see the entire play, missed the contact (or violation), or other possibilities. If an off official sees the infraction and deems a call will improve the game, then he is obligated to have the integrity and fortitude to make the call. [Note: "Ticky-tack" calls made from secondary coverage do not constitute "improve the game."] The call must be correct, and the respective officials should discuss the play during halftime or in their post-game analysis. The often-heard adage applies here, "It's not who is right, but what is right."

Tenet III. Referee the Defense.

Time and distance are not factors when guarding a player with the ball but are factors when guarding a player without the ball; therefore, it's imperative that officials initially focus on the defensive player for every match-up. This is especially true in transition, when the time period between the "act of shooting" and establishing "legal guarding position" can be miniscule. By initially focusing on the defensive player, a basketball official is more apt to see the entire play from its inception, thereby being in a proper position to correctly make or pass on a foul call. Since spectators normally eye the ball-carrier, their interpretation on various plays may differ from the official's – and will react accordingly! Of course, spectators have the luxury to review the replay, and will always say, "I told you so!" (or words to that effect) if the official makes an incorrect call! Every basketball official must remember, "You gotta beat the tape!"

Tenet IV. Call the Obvious.

Physical contact is a real part of basketball, especially at higher levels of play. However, there is no room for a literalistic official who blows his whistle every time contact occurs between opponents. A contest is best officiated if officials call fouls on players who gained a clear advantage over their opponent. The "Spirit and Intent (of the rules)" concept has its most relevance to this Tenet. During block/charge situations, defensive and offensive players will often attempt to draw a foul by taking a "dive," when little or no physical contact occurred. Officials that practice calling the obvious fouls, especially during secondary coverage, do not add unnecessary baggage (e.g., rewarding players taking "dives" or making "phantom" calls) to a contest. However, the game of basketball demands officials be prepared to make the "tough" call when necessary – especially from their primary area. As the saying goes, "Judgment is a better part of valor."

Indeed, basketball officiating is very challenging. A myriad of situations can occur on a standard 50' by 94' college basketball court that require officials to make split-second decisions. Following the "Four Tenets" of officiating will better prepare basketball officials in making correct calls, including so-called "tough" calls like the block/charge. So, make the theory work - avoid the "Blarge!" – and continue to work hard at becoming a better basketball official!

DISCOUNT COUPON

Please visit www.macboa.org and then use your ID/Password to access "Members Only". Print out the coupon for shopping discount card at Prime Outlets Hagerstown, MD. Offer expires December 31.

Stay tuned for other merchant discounts programs in the near future for MACBOA members.

SPECIAL OFFER: The 2001-02 NCAA Rules Index

Hurry, while supplies last!

Order Al Battista's best selling, The NCAA Rules Index, at $5.00 per order. Please e-mail Al Battista at albattista12@msn.com or call at (301) 949-9197.

MACBOA Staff Directory has been updated effective 12/15/01.

Here is the link:
http://www.macboa.org/members/directory

You will need your ID/Password to enter the site.

Please keep MACBOA informed of any address/phone/e-mail information changes.

MACBOA College/University Travel Directions has been created.

You may access the information at www.macboa.org under "New Items" or do directly to the link at:
http://www.macboa.org/about/directions.html

Check the "New Items - BULLETINS" area of www.macboa.org for recent 2001 NCAA Men's and Women's Officiating Memoranda

MACBOA Logo Whistles Are Here!

Be the first to receive your MACBOA logo Fox-40 Classic Whistle while supplies last!

Send your payment of $5.00 for each whistle ordered to Ike Relacion, c/o MACBOA Logo Whistle, 21112 Archstone Way, Unit 101, Germantown, MD 20876-6996.

Member News

Our heartfelt condolences to Richard "Tree" Oglethorpe on the passing of his mother.

Get well wishes to Clayton Singleton.

Reward, challenge, appreciation, stimulation, writing, reading...rarely thanked or noticed.

These are some of the attributes of the well hidden job of MACBOA Newsletter Volunteer. Are you interested in working behind the scenes (screens?) to help get information to members? MACBOA is looking to grow our ranks by a couple of folks and thus, we're soliciting volunteers.

What do you do? Read postings. Write articles, membership news, coordinate interviews, cultivate sponsor relations, etc. Write e-mail back and forth amongst us to establish communication, and guidance to keep this list as valuable as possible for our membership. Although we're virtual, our presence is sensed, we hope...and appreciated, although rarely acclaimed.

We haven't a job description, nor do we know what knowledge, skills, and abilities are required, but some that will come in handy are:

• having the ability to write
  
• being thick skinned, not thick headed
  
• being able to express your opinions, while being open minded
  
• having at least a free hour or two a week caring for the membership
  

Please respond directly by e-mail to: irelacion@aol.com

HOW TO CONTACT THE NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR

MACBOA welcomes and encourages news and information for the periodic newsletter. Please submit all materials to address letters of comment, article proposals and queries, or news items to:

Ike Relacion
(301) 371-8520
E-mail: irelacion@aol.com

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