MACBOA: Newsletter - Issue 54, January 4, 2005

Newsletter - Issue 54, January 4, 2005

In this Issue:

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray
NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Officiating Rules Interpretation
NCAA Women's Basketball - National Coordinator Update
NCAA Women's Basketball Rule Interpretation
2004-05 NCAA Rules Test #2
Contributing Article: Membership Retention; It is an Attitude (Ike Relacion)
News from our Board of Officials (BOA)
CORPORATE SPONSOR: Julius Patrick Terrell, Attorney at Law
CORPORATE SPONSOR: Turner Sports
Member News & Information
Order your MACBOA Logo Whistles
Submitting Articles for MACBOA Consideration
MACBOA Volunteers
Newsletter Contact/Information

The MACBOA Newsletter is a periodic newsletter 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. We 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.

[Photo of Donnee L. Gray.]

Donnee L. Gray

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray

Administrative Matters: Below are concerns from games observed thus far this season.

Lateness. There are too many calls regarding traffic delays. Officials are not late for the game, but are not arriving at game sites 1.5 hours prior to scheduled tip off time. Beginning January 1, 2005, officials arriving late (less than 1.5 hours prior to tip off) will be fined. Do not be upset at Donnee Gray – be upset at yourself.

Professionalism. There have been too many comments made to coaches that are not in the guidelines of professionalism. No matter what a coach says to you – the only course of action is to call a technical foul, and, if necessary, eject the coach from the game. Officials are required to answer reasonable questions professionally when approached by a coach. Be a professional at all times. You are not assigned to win a popularity contest. Coaches have more respect towards officials who are professional and not officials who are trying to win friends and influence people.

Focus. Officials are losing focus during the games and allowing walks, rough play, hand checks, and players commenting on official’s calls. Stay focused and alert for the entire 40 minutes.

Dress. MACBOA has a dress policy, which is professional, not casual. There will be fines for officials who do not adhere to this policy. Crew chiefs and Observers, this should be notedin your reports.

Ballwatching. There is too much ball watching occurring, and as a result, calls are being missed in the primary area. There are three officials assigned to every game – do your part.

Ejections. Remember that you are to call me immediately following any game that involves an ejection of player/coach.

Availability. Please remember to close dates on your calendar for when you are not available.

Just a reminder to Officials, Observers & Coaches: When completing evaluation forms, please use those provided on Assignbyweb.

Liability insurance. If your name appeared on the list of officials below* who need to provide proof of liability insurance, please take care of this immediately. Please do not call or e-mail asking that we check again. A thorough review of each officials file was done prior to posting the message. If your name appears on that message –WE DO NOT HAVE PROOF OF LIABILITY INSURANCE OR THE COPY OF COVERAGE PROVIDED HAS EXPIRED. (*Carolyn Allen Brown, Lawrence Ames, Athena Argyropoulos, Clarence Armstrong, Matthew Avery, Thoron Barclay, Sharon Bey, Craig Bradley, Billy Brooks, Gilbert Brown, Chad Canoy, Christopher Coccagna, Mark Collings, Andy Collins, Alvin Cox)

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Reminder: Any team member or bench personnel, other than the head coach, who leaves the bench area when a fight may break out or has broken out, shall be ejected. No direct technical foul(s) shall be assessed. This applies to a fight on or off the playing court.

Interpretation: A flagrant non-contact technical foul shall be assessed to a player who leaves the playing court when a fight may break out or has broken out off the playing court or in the stands. The penalty shall be two free throws awarded to a player of the non-involved team and possession of the ball to the offended team at a designated spot at the division line. The offender(s) shall be ejected.

Commentary: A competitive game of basketball is imbued with a variance of emotional levels. Consequently, players occasionally get “worked-up,” in playing the game. This can manifest itself in negative forms of behavior. The officials must responsibly observe questionable behavior between opponents. When a minor behavioral problem occurs, which in the judgment of the official does not call for a penalty, the official should address it by instructing the player(s) to properly play the game. A “talking with” the player(s) can assist the official in controlling the situation before it escalates into a major problem. The “talk,” should be brief and to the point.

When a major problem presents itself in a player’s behavior, it shall be penalized without discourse. To ignore a major problem may lead to subsequent negative behavior such as fighting.

It is important for the officials to preventatively appraise the character with which the game is being played by the opponents in order to maintain control in a positive direction.

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POINTS OF EMPHASIS

As the non-conference season comes to an end, the majority of games I have seen indicate that officials are doing a good job of calling displacement. Post and cutter displacement calls are being made with more regularity than in previous years. Stay focused and continue to enforce this point of emphasis.

NEEDS ATTENTION

Officials must improve their decision-making when the defender uses an arm-bar on the dribbler. Incidental contact with an arm bar is permissible. However, when the defender keeps an arm bar on the dribbler or continually puts the arm bar on and off the dribbler, a foul must be called. Many officials are waiting too long to make this call. It appears that once the dribbler makes a move to the basket, officials are waiting to see if the shot is made. THIS IS TOO LATE! Make the call sooner!

INTENTIONAL FOULS

While officials need to pay attention to the December 17, 2004, posting regarding intentional fouls, they should make this call on the basis of their "observation of the act," per the guidelines in the Rule 4-26.6. There has not been a serious problem calling the intentional foul in the women's game. Therefore, at this point in the season, officials should not totally change the way they manage this aspect of the game.

Rule Interpretation:

Due to what has happened in the NBA with fighting and players going into the stands and college players leaving the playing court to go into the stands because a fight has broken out, an interpretation has been added to rule 10-13.2. We will add a new c. as follows:

10-13.2.c – It is a flagrant non-contact technical foul when a player leaves the playing court and goes into the stands when a fight may break out or has broken out.

This means that a player does not have to participate in the fight, just leaving the court and going into the stands leads to ejection, two shots for the opposing team and the ball put back into play at the division line.

Our rules already cover if a team member or bench personnel leave the bench area (10-11.4)

Reminder, the definition of an intentional personal foul (Rule 4-26.6) is:

A personal foul that, on the basis of an official’s observation of the act, is not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball or a player. Determination of whether a personal foul is intentional shall not be based on the severity of the act. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Fouling a player who is away from the ball and not directly involved with the play.
Contact with a player making a throw-in.
Holding or pushing an opponent in order to stop the game clock.
Pushing a player from behind to prevent a score.
Causing excessive contact with an opponent while playing the ball.

The intentional foul is clearly defined. Coaches have been utilizing a strategic foul for many years which is to commit a foul to stop the game clock and thereby prolong the game. The hope is the opponent will miss the free throw(s). If the player makes an honest attempt to play the ball or the player away from the ball, it is a personal foul. However, if the player does not make a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball or the player away from the ball, then the official is responsible to call an intentional personal foul. It is incumbent upon the coach to constructively use the strategic foul within the spirit and intent of the intentional personal foul rule. The coach who does otherwise takes a shortcut that circumvents the purpose of the rule.

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2004-05 NCAA Rules Test #2

The following questions must be returned to Donnee L. Gray, MACBOA Supervisor of Officials by
January 11, 2005 to be in good standing and to be eligible for consideration of MACBOA assignments. In answering the questions, you are required to cite the 2004-05 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

B1 fouls A1 and is awarded two free throws. It is B1’s fifth foul. Prior to B1’s substitute reporting, A6 and A7 report to enter the game. The official beckons the substitutes into the game. Is the official correct?
B1 commits a personal foul against A1. Following the foul, A1 and B1 are assessed with a double intentional technical foul. It is A1’s fifth foul. The official rules A1’s and B1’s fouls are offsetting and awards no free throws. He disqualifies A1 and has A1’s substitute attempt the free throws and resumes play off the make or miss. Is the official correct?
A1’s unsuccessful try is batted back toward the division live by A2. A3, in the front court near the division line, jumps in the air, catches the ball and lands in the backcourt. The official rules this a legal play. Is the official correct?
After the half has ended, a direct technical foul is assessed to the coach of Team A. The possession arrow favors Team A. The official starts the second half by administering the technical foul and awards Team A the ball out of bounds with an alternating possession throw-in. Is the official correct?
The game is being played under the electronic media format when a foul is committed causing the ball to become dead for an electronic media timeout. The official informs the coaches that the free throws will be attempted following the electronic timeout. Is the official correct?
While A1 is dribbling, A2 and B2 are charged with double intentional personal fouls. The official awards to no free throws and awards the ball to Team A at a designated spot with the unexpired time. Is the official correct?
A1 is to attempt two free throws. Team A has players in each of the second marked lane spaces. After the first free throw, A2 vacates his space and positions himself behind the three-point arc. B4, in the third-marked lane space, moves into the second-marked lane space. The official rules B4 may legally occupy the opponent’s space. Is the official correct?
A1’s try is in the air and on its upward flight when B1 blocks the shot. While the ball is still in the air, A2 and B2 simultaneously gain control and a held ball is called. The possession arrow favors Team A. The official uses the alternating possession procedure to resume play and signals the shot clock operator to recycle the shot clock. Is the official correct?
A1 ends his dribble and cannot find anyone to whom to pass the ball, so to avert having a five-second closely guarded violation called, A1 intentionally throws the ball against B1. A1 catches the ball and starts another dribble. The official rules this a double dribble. The coach inquires about the call and the official informs the coach that voluntarily throwing the ball against another player is illegal. Is the official correct?
The official bounces the ball to A1 for a second free throw. Before A1 catches the ball, B2 steps into the lane and requests and timeout. The official grants the request. Is the official correct?
A1 has the ball for his second free throw attempt when B1, in a marked lane space, steps into the lane. The official inadvertently sounds the whistle and stops play. Team B requests and is granted a timeout. Following the timeout, A1 misses the free throw. The official sounds the whistle and awards A1 a substitute free throw. Is the official correct?
Before A-1 releases the free throw, B-1 steps into the lane. A-1’s free throw then fails to hit the ring. The official rules this a double free throw violation. Is the official correct?
During a throw-in by team A, B-1 reached across the plane and touches the ball? The official issues a warning for delay of game. Is the official correct?
While A-1’s try is in flight, the shot clock horn sounds and the official, before the try ends, inadvertently blows the whistle. The ball fails to hit the ring. The official rules this is a shot-clock violation. Is the official correct?
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?
After A-1 pulls the basket ring down and it returns to its original position, the ring is vibrating when the ball touches the ring. The official rules that this is BI and awards the appropriate amount of points. Is the official correct?
Name the last Corporate Sponsor mentioned in the last newsletter?
Name the Corporate Sponsor you would consult for financial planning matters?
Which Corporate Sponsor helped sponsor the 2002 Golf Tournament?
Which Corporate Sponsor is authorized to sell MACBOA logo items?

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In business, many corporations trumpet the slogan, "People are our most important asset." This is admirable, but it takes hard, consistent work in policies, statements, and actions for those people to believe it. Similarly, officiating associations can learn from retention methods of business.

In order to successfully manage retention, assignors must embrace their membership, assist them in gaining knowledge and expertise and not ridicule its members who want to get better. In the business world, most employers have career progression and pay for performance programs. A membership association can consciously transform itself through purposeful study and application of some basic themes.

In business, the greatest employee development comes from managers taking time to develop employees through mentoring, assigning interesting projects and identifying improvement areas. Employees tend to feel welcome, happy, challenged, and are more apt to want to give back to an organization. How can we transfer this to our officiating membership associations?

First, members need to feel they are appreciated, valued, and trusted. It is about respecting people and their contributions to the membership. This principle implies competence. The second theme is development. In business, a critical component of trust is competence. The whole organization needs each person to be really good at what they do. Few people start out that way. Employees who participate in their own growth and development plans are going to stick around because they know their company wants more for them. The next theme is growth in responsibility. Most people want to grow and to feel more competent and more responsible, at any level. As officials, we all start as novice referees, work recreation assignments and eventually progress to higher-level assignments. As our competence grows so do our expectations. A good association helps people manage themselves by consistently focusing on performance and results. The assignor can be an essential conduit to an official by being supportive and giving positive advice, encouragement, and information on how to improve. In the business world, this translates into higher levels of responsibility and accountability. At this point in the "career progression" path, assignors should provide opportunities for their members to become better and not facilitate alienation of its membership who want to excel. As they get better, they provide better service, which our paying customers ultimately want, which can also re-engineer a sense of sportsmanship because the officials are well prepared, which ultimately brings our paying customer base back for service. Which will ultimately improve an association's recruitment and retention program.

As the theme above implies, the next principle is a good relationship with your supervisor. Research in the business world shows that this relationship is critical to employee success and satisfaction, and therefore retention. In Officiating, it makes sense in that the assignor is the richest interface and the most important source of feedback regarding retention. The supervisor/assignor represents the personal experience of the association for officials and therefore reflects, for better or for worse, its underlying attitudes toward them.

The next theme is success. The previous themes lead up to it. The valued and successful official stays. Success is the aphrodisiac of retention. Success is obvious, and it is also contagious. The strong association rewards its members for helping to make others (and the association) successful also.

As stated above, these principles are neither magical nor mystical. They are the foundation of an association attitude to making its membership the best they can be within the mission and objectives of the association. An officials association is in the service business. It is there to serve the sport, the players, coaches, and fans. The association has to have a commitment to people.

The tone of an association is set at the top. When the tone is cynical a cancer eats away at potential strength. Where the tone is positive and embracing towards its membership, power and a can-do spirit arise. Officiating associations, as with companies in the business world, must pay closer attention to these themes of value, dignity, and respect for its membership. ____________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your feedback on the Holiday cards the BOA sent out over the holidays.

President - Lionel Butler
TBA – Vice President
Tiffany Green – Secretary
TBA – Treasurer
TBA -- Grievances/Ethics
TBA – Constitution Specialist (New)
Wainwright Jackson - Past President (Advisor)

We have received applications for the above referenced positions. A brief bio/platform is listed for each candidate. Please vote for your candidate and the position by sending email to Lionel Butler at Lionel_Butler@hotmail.com by January 8, 2005.

Candidate for BOA Ethics and Grievance or Constitution Specialist: Carl Dudley

MACBOA membership: In good standing

OCCUPATION: Active Duty Air Force/18 years - Diversity Practitioner/Human Relations
Consultant/Equal Opportunity Investigator/Professional Military Education Instructor

GOAL/ROLE AS ETHICS AND GRIEVANCE INCUMBENT: Plan to
advance MACBOA's excellent reputation and increase MACBOA's professionalism
through education. I plan to live up to the Incumbents' responsibilities
through action-oriented leadership.

Candidate for Vice President, Treasurer, or Constitution Specialist: Chris Vail

Goal/Role: My objective is to help the BOA become an integral part of the MACBOA organization.

Qualifications: (2001 – Present) – Recreation Commissioner, Cardinal Basketball Officials Association: Duties include: Oversee management of the Recreation program, which includes making officials assignments; creating payroll for officials; creating contracts for recreation clients; participating in CBOA Executive Board meetings with regards to the recreation program.

Candidate for Vice President: Fred “Ice” Smith

Goal/Role: Assist the President of the BOA is the administrative matters, Chair select committees as appropriate, improve corporate sponsorship levels and assist members as required.

Qualifications include over 20 years management experience working with diverse groups and facilitating change in organizations.

Please let us know of any MACBOA member news that we should send cards, flowers, etc. The BOA is there for our membership and we can only act if we know of events. Events include sick members and their family members, condolence notices, as well as communication about professional appointments and selections to conferences and leagues. Again, the BOA wants to improve the communication between members and WE need your help. Please use us!

The National Law Office of Julius Patrick Terrell began serving the public in August of 2003. The practice provides legal counseling in business startups and real estate transactions, asset protections, sports and entertainment, and personal injury and employment matters. Before this practice was opened Counselor Terrell worked for ten years in various law positions in the United States House of Representatives, United States Department of Labor, in the Government of the District Columbia interpreting Federal and District laws and serving as fiduciary counsel.

Counselor Terrell is available to assist members in the MACBOA with a variety of legal matters that arise. As a courtesy too members of MACBOA initial consultations up to 30 minutes will be free of charge for a limited time.

Turner Sports wishes to thank all MACBOA members for placing orders at the Pre-Season Clinic. Due to the very large amount of orders placed, orders placed will be processed within the next 10 days to 2 weeks. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions please contact Harry Turner at Turner Sports at 301-790-2532 or via email at ht_alero@juno.com.

These official MACBOA logo items are for sale from Turner Sports:

MACBOA Warm-ups: $70.00
MACBOA Long Sleeve Polo: $25.00
MACBOA Long Sleeve Wind Pullover: $35.00
MACBOA Short Sleeve Wind Vest: $35.00
MACBOA short sleeve golf/polo shirts: $15.00
MACBOA hats: $10.00
MACBOA White Beach Towel: $20.00
MACBOA umbrellas: $20.00
MACBOA whistle bag: $10.00

Contact:
Turner Sports
856 Dewey Avenue
Hagerstown, MD 21742
(301) 790-2532
Email ht_alero@juno.com

Order your MACBOA Logo Whistles!

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

Send your payment of $5.25 for each whistle ordered to:

Ike Relacion
c/o MACBOA Logo Whistle
6 Brookloadge Lane
Middletown, MD 21769

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.

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

[Drawing of flat screen monitor.] 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, 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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