Issue 34, November 1, 2002
MACBOA Newsletter

In this Issue:

• Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray
• 2002 - 2003 Crew Chief Staff
• Did You Know…..
• 2002-03 NCAA Rules Test #2
• Coaches, Players and Sports Officials - Getting Ready for the Season -- Ike Relacion
• NCAA Basketball Officiating Bulletins
• BASKETBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION (BOA)
• Member News and Accomplishment
• New MACBOA-logo Fox-40 Classic Whistles
• Submitting Articles for MACBOA Consideration
• MACBOA Volunteers
• Newsletter Contact/Information

The MACBOA Newsletter is a periodic (twice a month during October through March and monthly there after) publication of the Mid-Atlantic College Basketball Officials Association (MACBOA). MACBOA provides basketball officiating services to several colleges and universities in the Maryland - Washington, DC area. The Association has a membership of approximately 200 men and women officials. Our membership consist of men and women who work Divisions I, II and III basketball. We pride our Association on providing quality and professional service.

The usefulness and survival of this newsletter is going to depend on the participation of subscribers and professionals alike. Please help by submitting personal stories, experiences, and articles of general interest to the MACBOA community.

The MACBOA Newsletter is made possible by the kind support of our sponsors. I thank our sponsors for making the newsletter and other programs possible. Please visit our web site at http://www.macboa.org. As always, please visit our sponsors and thank them for keeping MACBOA operational.

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray

Game Scheduling via E-mail: As you know, I’m sending game schedules via e-mail is a new process for us this year, so please be patient as we go forward. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you keep this office apprised of your current e-mail address so that there will be no delay in communicating game assignments.

When you receive a schedule, please review your schedule carefully as there have been some changes from colleges on game times. Also, please visit the MACBOA web site (password protected "Members Only" area) for telephone numbers of partners, etc. We plan to include this information in future e-mails.

Schedules will be sent regularly throughout the year. Please check your e-mail daily. In cases where partner information is not provided, we will try to provide you with that information as soon as confirmed. However, do not hesitate to call the MACBOA office (301.283.6807) if you have not received anything 72 hours before the scheduled game.

Crew chiefs ... remember that you are responsible for contacting your crew to ensure that everyone arrives at the game site safely and on time.

All game assignments received must be confirmed with this office within 48-hours.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Vedia or me.

MACBOA Staff Directory: Officials are required to keep the MACBOA office updated of any changes in their address, phone or email information. MACBOA continues to improve its web site. Staff may now complete the NEW Staff Address / Phone Number Online Self-Service Form directly inside the "Members Only" section of our MACBOA web site. Submitted changes are uploaded within 7 days. Thank s Jessica Mays, JMays Design, on creating the form.

Officials, Athletic Directors and Head Coaches: Please page down to review the NCAA Officiating Bulletin (October 24, 2002) on "Basketball Rules on Noisemakers and Shot Clocks."

NCAA Rules Test #2: As stated in the contract, officials are required to visit the MACBOA website monthly. Members must take and pass periodic tests uploaded onto the web site. The NCAA Rules Test #2 is included in this newsletter as well as on the MACBOA web site. Remember to send your tests via regular mail by the deadline date. Any

Roughness: Because of the emphasis on controlling roughness, officials will call fouls and not talk players out of fouls. Remember that two (hands, forearms, legs) of anything is a foul and must be called. Do not lose control of games. Use good judgement.

Closed Dates: Continue to e-mail closed dates to dgray@macboa.org or send your closed dates by regular postal mail. Place the appropriate conference/league abbreviation as appropriate (Big East=BE, Colonial=CAA, CIAA, CBOB etc.)

Travel to Games: As each of you know, with the major construction projects and security concerns in and around the metropolitan area (i.e. highways 70, 270, 395, 495, and 695) traffic congestion are extremely heavy. Please consistently plan travel time in accordance with mileage, weather, and TRAFFIC. None of these are considered valid excuses for missing or being late to an assignment.

Cell Phones: All officials should have their cell phones "ON," especially on game days in the event the MACBOA office and or crew members need to contact you regarding changes or news of any kind. If you are assigned and you have not been contacted by your Crew Chief within 24-hours of the assignment, you are required to call Donnee Gray, Willie Jones and/or Vedia Gray. Failure to do so will result in a fine.

Arrival at the Game: Officials must be at the game site, and have notified game administration of their arrival, and in the locker room for their assigned game 1 hr and 30 minutes before game time.

Crew Chief: It is mandatory for the Crew Chief to contact the assigned crewmembers 48-hours before a game assignment to confirm game time, location, directions and car-pooling. You may leave messages as well as e-mail, but you must receive a verbal confirmation. Each member of the crew may call the host institution and verify the game time. Crew Chief/all officials must follow the "Emergency Procedures" if a problem comes up!! The Emergency Procedures should be put into effect 60-minutes prior to game time if the entire crew is not at the game site.

Emergency Telephone Numbers and Procedures

Officials are required to contact one of the individuals listed below if his/her partner has not arrived 60-minutes prior to tip-off:

DONNEE GRAY
(301) 283-6807 - MACBOA Office
(301) 775-4088 - Cell
E-Mail: dgray@macboa.org

WILLIE JONES
(202) 668-4565 - Pager
(202) 707-9765 - Cell

VEDIA GRAY
(301) 283-6807 - MACBOA Office
(301) 775-4089 - Cell
E-mail: dgray@macboa.org

TOMMIE SCOTT
(301) 814-4676 - Cell

CHARLES STOVALL
(301) 466-4520 - Cell

If you are unable to reach any of the above persons, then the Observer or the home team Athletic Director should call official(s) from the Roster provided in the Conference Manual. The visiting teams' coach should be made aware of the situation as soon as possible.

Evaluations: Are composed of evaluation by the Supervisor of Officials, MACBOA Observers, Coaches, Clinic Attendance, the Crew Chief in assignments, videotape and taking care of administrative matters, are all essential components in the evaluation process of officials.

Authorized Mechanics: Officials will use authorized signals as stated and illustrated in the CCA Men’s and Women’s Mechanics Manual and NCAA Rules and Interpretations

Liability Insurance: It is imperative that each MACBOA official has sports liability insurance on file at the MACBOA office. No official will be allowed to officiate without this coverage. MACBOA is currently discussing liability coverage for MACBOA staff with K&K Insurance. More information to follow. Effective for the 2003-04 season, MACBOA members will no longer be allowed to submit HS coverage as an indicator of liability insurance coverage.

Dismissal from MACBOA: If you curse a coach, or if you state to a coach, "sit down and shut up!" or if you turn back a MACBOA assignment for a HS game, or if you lie or gossip, or if you are late twice to assignments, and/or if you miss a game assignment are grounds for immediate dismissal from the MACBOA staff.

Ejections: MD Juco Conference has a 3 game suspension rule for fighting. As in any atypical situation, the officials must discuss the situation before a final ruling. Crews must distinguish between a flagrant vs. a fighting foul.

Miscellaneous:

*If you or another official wishes to observe a pre-game conference, you must contact the Supervisor of Officials beforehand for approval.

*Pictures: MACBOA’s goal is to have each official’s name and picture on the web site. Officials are required to send a headshot (passport size) photograph with their PRINTED name on the back of the photograph. Those who have not sent your picture as of 11/21/02 will be fined. The money will go to the Tommie Scott Scholarship Fund. Take Care of Business (TCB) on administrative matters!

*Fox-40 whistles with our MACBOA logo are available. Please send $5.00 for each whistle to: Ike Relacion, c/o MACBOA Whistle, 21112 Archstone Way, Unit 101, Germantown, MD 20876.

To Athletic Directors/Head Coaches:

If the crew assigned for your game has not arrived by 60 minutes before scheduled game tip-off, please follow the Emergency Procedures provided at the September 29, 2002 clinic. A copy of the Emergency Procedures can be found on the MACBOA web site at www.macboa.org.

Game Cancellations: Please notify the MACBOA office, in writing, immediately of any schedule changes. You can provide this information via fax or e-mail (dgray@macboa.org). The Office will confirm receipt of the information when received. If the change occurs on the date of the scheduled game, you must speak to someone directly about the change (e.g. Donnee Gray, Vedia Gray, Willie Jones.) Colleges are requested to inform the Supervisor of Officials of any cancellations by 12 pm of the day of the game. If this is not possible, colleges will be responsible for payment of officials

Facilities: Please continue to provide drinks/snacks and towels for officials. I am also appreciative for allowing our officials to avail of your Athletic Training staff.

Game Evaluations: Please take a few minutes at the conclusion of each game to complete the Coaches Game Report. This information is very important to the evaluation process of all MACBOA officials.

If you have any questions and need clarification on any issues, please contact me at 301-283-6807 or via e-mail at dgray@macboa.org.

2002 - 2003 Crew Chief Staff

Choosing a Crew Chief may be one of the most important decisions that the Supervisor of Officials makes. A poor crew chief can ruin a game assignment and a good one can make it a wonderful experience for players, coaches, administrators, fans, and of course, the crew. MACBOA is fortunate to have many qualified members with game administration experience skills at D-I, D-II, pro- and semi-professional level.

One of the key principles in becoming a Crew Chief is being a good leader. A supervisor looks not only for leadership traits in a prospective Crew Chief, but also for cooperation and support by and for other members, knowledge and application of rules, use of common sense, ability, skill and experience in leading discussions, the ability to handle the most difficult aspects of game management, excellent communication and organizational skills.

The Supervisor of Officials has selected the following Crew Chiefs for the 2002-03 season:

Congratulations on your selection. Represent MACBOA proud!

Did You Know…..

…that by surfing www.macboa.org, you can access:

MACBOA Officials
College/University Directory and Directions
MACBOA: Corporate Sponsors

….effective November 1, 2002, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Instructional Videotape for the 2002-03 season will be available for officials to review. The videotape(s) cover the points of emphasis the 2002-03 season. You may e-mail Ike Relacion at macboa1@aol.com to be placed on the waiting list. Because of the number of MACBOA members, the videotape must be returned within 3 days of receipt in order for other members to have the opportunity for review. A nominal charge for postage and handling will be incurred. Officials will also be responsible for returning the videotape in useable condition.

2002-03 NCAA Rules Test #2

All MACBOA officials are required to take and pass periodic tests as stated in your 2002-2003 contract. You must mail your answers to the MACBOA office, Post Office Box 98, Bryans Road, MD 20616. DO NOT FAX your answers.
Note: In order to receive credit, our first Rules Test must be have been postmarked no later than October 15, 2002 in order to receive credit. Please take care of your administrative matters!

2002-03 NCAA Rules Test #2

The following questions must be returned to Donnee L. Gray, MACBOA Supervisor of Officials by November 7, 2002 to be in good standing and to be eligible for consideration of MACBOA assignments. In answering the questions, you are required to cite the 2002-03 NCAA Rule Book reference. Officials working men’s or women’s basketball may answer the questions according to the respective men’s or women’s codes.

PRINT NAME: _________________________________________________

CHECK ONE: ______ Men’s Official ______ Women’s Official

1. Team A has the ball in its front court with 23 seconds left on the shot clock, A1 shoots the ball and the ball lodges between the flange and the backboard. The official calls a held ball and the A/P arrow points to Team A. The shot clock is not reset. Is the official correct?

2. During a throw-in, the official blows the whistle as an oversight and does not have a call to make. The official uses the A/P arrow to decide who will get possession of the ball. Is the official correct?

3. Team A scores a basket with 48-seconds left in the second half. The horn sounds and the official recognize the horn inadvertently with a whistle. There are two substitutes at the table waiting to enter the game. The official beckons the subs in. Is the official correct?

4. During A-1’s interrupted dribble, a double personal foul is charged. The official awards the ball back to team A with no reset of the shot clock. Is the official correct?

5. Jumper A-1 catches the ball after jumper B1 taps it. The official rules this a violation and awards the ball to tam B, instructs the scorer to set the arrow in the direction of Team A basketball, then hands or bounces the ball to the player making the throw-in. Is the official correct?

6. A2 is assessed a direct technical foul while Team A is in control. After the free throws, B1 is charged with a direct technical foul. After the free throws, the official resumes play at the original point of interruption and resets the shot clock. Is the official correct?

Contributing Article: Coaches, Players and Sports Officials - Getting Ready for the Season -- Ike Relacion

One of the telltale signs of being a truly great player is consistency. Some players may occasionally have a good game every now and then, but the truly great players perform to their full potential on a consistent basis. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a scrimmage situation or a pressure-packed late game championship situation; great players are consistently ready to do battle. Sports officials need to rise to that level.

Most coaches are all too familiar with poor preparation on their players’ part. As a sports official, are you ready for the upcoming season? May coaches can empathize that they probably have a few players on a team who think they can turn it on and off at will. These are the players who often don’t give it their all during practice. They think they can just go through the motions during the week and somehow their skills and talent will magically appear come game time. It’s these players who have many ups and downs throughout the season because they don’t work hard enough to earn the confidence necessary to be more consistent. Sports officials must work smart to improve. Sports officials are only as good as their last call. Sports officials never will call a perfect game (just as coaches and players will never coach or play a perfect game) because coaches, players and sports officials are human beings. Supervisor of Officials are looking for officials that have excellent game management skills, are "CONSISTENT," and are great communicators. The only way to become one is by working scrimmages, games and learning from each assignment.

Since poor preparation and stress are often the causes of inconsistent play in players, the same can be said for sports officials. Formula: Sports officials should strive for proper preparation plus confident and a focused mindset which translates to consistency.

For coaches and players, proper preparation really begins during practices. Coaches remind players that practice is designed to help them master the skills needed to play the game. The daily repetitions of drills lay the necessary foundation for skill mastery. Sports officials should work as many scrimmages to prepare mentally and physically for the upcoming season. Scrimmages are the perfect place to practice mechanics, apply the upcoming rule changes, points of emphasis for the season, and learning how to work as a team of officials.

As coaches encourage players to set goals prior to the start of practice as they stretch or warm-up to ensure that they are practicing with a purpose, sports officials should also set goals. Sit down with your supervisor/coordinator and discuss your goals for the season and beyond.

Coaches and players remember that a person can either be scared by pressure situations or challenged by them. The choice is entirely up to how the student-athlete chooses to perceive, or think about the situation. Again, going through practice sessions, scrimmages help players and coaches when crunch time arrives during the season and post-season. One of the best strategies a sports official can avail of is to gain experience in game-type situations. Coaches place game ending scenarios for their players to experience what may be a deciding play in a "real game." Sports officials should be involved in these situations. A sports official has unique vantage point of anticipating what happens on a particular play, strategy used by coaches and players ("anticipate the play’), but more important, experiencing game ending scenarios with the game and/or shot clock. Sports officials that are able to handle those plays will be that much better when the actual game scenario(s) happen during the season.

While there are a number of strategies coaches and players use to combat stress and create confidence which equals consistency, sports officials can also combat stress and create confidence and consistency by using scrimmages and game-ending play scenarios to help prepare for the rigors of the season.

NCAA Basketball Officiating Bulletins

MEMORANDUM

October 24, 2002

As the season approaches, two items have surfaced for which we need to provide some clarification to prevent any unintended breaches of the rules. One is artificial noisemakers; the other is the red light for indicating the end of a period that is required for Division I schools this season.

Regarding artificial noisemakers, Rule 10-3.5 of the 2003 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rules and Interpretations states on page BR-122 that "the playing of musical instruments and/or amplified music and the use of artificial noisemakers while the game is in progress shall be prohibited," along with the clarification that the only time that a game is not "in progress" after it has started is during a timeout or during intermission. A penalty for violation of this rule is an indirect technical foul. Please be aware that an artificial noisemaker is interpreted as being any object that is used to manufacture noise by contact with another object or surface. Nothing prohibits schools from distributing or selling such items to fans; however, if they do so and those fans with the items choose to use them as artificial noisemakers at times other than during timeouts or intermissions (something that would be very difficult for game management to control), they could be charged with an indirect technical foul under Rule 10-3.5. Member schools that advance to the NCAA championship tournament in any division should be mindful that restrictions on artificial noisemakers are more strict for those games than they are for the regular season. Possession and/or the use of artificial noisemakers is prohibited at all times during NCAA tournament games.

As members of Division I know, a red warning light that indicates the end of a period is required to be placed behind each backboard starting this season. It has come to our attention that some shot clocks are being manufactured that include a red warning light as part of the face of the shot clock. While this is not an illegal piece of equipment, institutions must be aware that this type of device does not meet the intent of this rule; therefore, if a school has one of these shot clocks, it must also have a separate red warning light mounted behind the backboard.

If you seek further clarification, please contact either of us or Marty Benson (men) or Heather Yost (women) at the NCAA national office.

EB/MTB:btc

BASKETBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION (BOA)

Lionel Butler, President of the BOA introduced the Board of Directors:
Chrissy Filar – Vice President
Tiffany Green – Secretary
Gerald Cannon – Treasurer
Henry Hailstock -- Greivances/Ethics
Wainwright Jackson - Past President (Advisor)

The BOA Constitution & Bylaws has been uploaded onto the MACBOA website under "Policies/Bylaws."

BOA Membership Applications along with the $15 membership may be obtained from any of the BOA Directors. Access www.macboa.org and click on "Policies" to obtain BOA contact information. Please contact any BOA Board of Directors for more information and to volunteer for activities, committees, etc.

MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Condolences to Tricia Maltagliati on the passing of her father.

Condolences to Al Cox on the passing of his brother.

Condolences to Dan Wilson on the passing of his grandfather.

Congrats to Donnee Gray, Supervisor of Official, who appeared on the TV show, "Inside Sports," hosted by Mr. Bill McCaffrey, on Prince George's County Community Television, Channel 76 on October 30th at 7:30pm as they discussed many things including basketball officiating, rules and other things.

Let us know what you think of the MACBOA E-mail Newsletter. I would like to find out ways we can improve it, ways we can make it more useful to you. Send an e-mail message to macboa1@aol.com - a real person, not an automated response.

*Please send other newsworthy events or personal items of note to irelacion@aol.com. Contributions should be sent via email with the subject heading: 'MACBOA ITEM'; attachments to will not be accepted.

Order your MACBOA Logo Whistles!

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.

Submitting Articles for MACBOA Consideration

Thank you for your interest in submitting an article for consideration on www.macboa.org.

We accept well-written features, how-to articles, "how I did it" success stories, tips and hints, motivational articles and other articles that will help our audience gain knowledge and succeed in their officiating avocation.

We do not accept articles that are primarily advertisements. However, you may place a biographical section at the end of your article. It should be no more than 30 to 40 words in length. It would be nice if you could include a 60x60 picture of you in .gif or .jpeg format.

Below are instructions for submitting your article to the MACBOA.org web site. We ask that you read the terms of your Agreement with MACBOA.org carefully.

Please note: We only accept submissions from the original author of the articles or a publicist hired by the copyright owner to submit material here. By submitting material, you acknowledge that you are legally entitled to distribute the work and to allow it to be redistributed. (If you are a book publisher or public relations firm with copy to distribute, please include a note to that effect at the top of the article you submit.) We do not pay for articles, and do not accept articles that are primarily advertisements. However, you may place a brief resource box and contact information (but no ads) at the end of your article.

To send your article, click on the "Article Submission Form" and answer the questions and then copy and paste your submission into the space provided. We have provided a copy of the form below. Please be sure your by-line appears below the title of the article. Click on the submit button to complete the process and or cut-and-paste the completed form and your article to macboa1@aol.com.

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

MACBOA Newsletter Information

MACBOA, INC provides the MACBOA newsletter. MACBOA is a nonprofit organization providing information about membership news. The MACBOA.ORG Newsletter's contents may be quoted and reused as long as attribution is included with the reprinting and/or posting.

MACBOA nor its guest contributors shall be liable or responsible to any person or entity for any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be have been caused, directly or indirectly by the information or ideas contained, suggested, or referenced in this newsletter

MACBOA does not share its email lists. We value and respect your privacy.

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