Issue 74, February 9, 2008
MACBOA Newsletter

In this Issue:

• Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray
• Member Spotlight:  5 minutes with Joe Palmer
• QUIZ TIME!
• NJCAA Rankings
• Members News!
• TURNER SPORTING GOODS:   MACBOA Sportswear Now on Sale
• 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.

Remarks from the Supervisor of Officials: Donnee L. Gray

We are coming down the final stretch of the season. Let's go out and end on a high note ... putting into motion all of the rules and procedures we have discussed all year. Be on time; dress professionally; communicate with your crew (pre-game and post-game conferences); work together as a team; work with coaches and players; and, when necessary, take care of business. Above all, be a professional and do your very best.

Other reminders:

I’ve been observing many games and duuring the past several weeks MACBOA officials have improved their officiating of the points of emphasis.  When officials decide to concentrate on off-ball coverage and quit watching the ball, the quality of officiating post-play situations and officiating cutters without the ball rises dramatically.

Pregame – Please be vigilant regarding pregame dunking by players.

Free Throws – Assure that the offensive player in the 2nd lane space does not illegally move the player in the 1st lane space under the basket.

Traveling:  Mostly on post players.  Center and Trail must help the Lead. Move to get the angles to see through players.  This takes effort and requires a higher level of intensity.

Uniform Shirts:  What an improvement!  Players must keep uniform shirts inside.  We do not want any slippage.

Bench decorum: We have to do a better job of adjudicating this. Situations may increase as conference races get tighter.  Be observant. Be fair.

Post Play – Remember that neither the offense or defense may dislodge an opponent from a legal established position.  Watch the offensive player use arm extension; Defensive players may not use a “Swim or Arm Hook to gain an advantage.

I have seen good hustle from Trail to Lead.  Remember to hustle to get into position to accept the play. 
Many officials do not keep their eyes focused on the court during dead ball situations, especially when moving to a new position.  After a call by a partner, we have a tendency to drop our head while moving which can cause us to miss potential problems. Or we relax during a jump ball situation on the floor that may lead to havoc. Stay focused!

Officials: I am to be notified of any ejections or atypical situations.

Donnee L.. Gray
Supervisor of Officials

Member Spotlight:  5 minutes with Joe Palmer

I have been officiating for 29 years.  I have been officiating at the College level for 24 years, starting at the Junior College level and worked my way all the way to Division I.

I have a great family, starting with my lovely wife, Trish.  We have been married 28 years, and she has been and still is very supportive of my basketball avocation.  Along with taking care and raising our three children, Trish also works full time as an Office Manager for a land development company in the Waldorf, MD area.  It takes a very special person to put up with all the traveling and things that go on in this game of basketball, and I couldn’t have managed without Trish.        

Trish and I have three children, (2 boys and a girl), Joe IV -- 25, Steve -- 20, and Jamie --17.  Joe was married last June to a very nice young lady named Bambi Clark.  They live in Indian Head, MD and they have just made my wife and I very happy GRANDPARENTS.  In September they were blessed with a baby boy, Joe V.   My other two children still live at home with us.  Steve works at Automaded Graphics System as a Machine Binary Operator.  My daughter Jamie is a senior at Thomas Stone High School and she works part time.

We have lived in the Waldorf, MD for 27 years.  I think we will stay in the area until my daughter has finished with her schooling.  Then we are thinking of retiring down in the Carolina's somewhere (that is still up in the air).

I became a basketball official for two reasons:  One, my mother was a basketball official, and two I really love and enjoy the game of basketball.  My mother was an official about a year or two before I became an official.  We made IAABO history together, we were the first mother and son to ever work a varsity basketball game together.  I played basketball in high school and continued to play when I finished with high school in several Men’s league.  I turned to officiating after playing for a few years and decided that I could still keep up with the game and make a little money at it.

I started officiating back in 1978, in IAABO Board #134, which was the local high school board in the area.

I broke in the NCAA level in the mid 1980's.  My first break came when I was picked-up by the Big South Conference. Then things started to happen and I was lucky enough to be selected and placed on a few other Conferences, at all different levels of college basketball.  That is where we are today.

MACBOA is a great organization, it has helped many fine officials to get their start in the collegiate level.  I am very proud to say that I have been a part of the organization from it's inception.  Mr. Gray has done an outstanding job, he is willing to help you if you are ready to make that move to the next level, also he will let you know if you are not ready and that is a great attribute to have in a Supervisor of Officials.  He is one of the main reasons that I have been so successful in officiating career. He has helped me and given me advice on where I should go to have a shot at being selected to other college conferences and where not to go.

Highlights of by Basketball career so far have been: I have been selected to work on all the levels of college basketball, Division I, II, III, and Junior College basketball.  I have been fortunate enough to work both the Maryland State and the Regional Tournaments at the Junior College level for MACBOA for the past ten years, which Mr. Gray is the Supervisor.  I have also had the great fortune to have worked the Junior College Division III Nationals that are held in Delhi, NY. I have had the pleasure of working in that tournament 4 times and have worked the Championship Game every year that I was there.  I have also been selected to work the Conference Tournament in my Division III Conference for the past 8 years.  In my Division III Conference, I have been selected to work the NCAA National Tournament the last 5 years and have made it to the sweet sixteen round.

What I would like to share with others about officiating is that you are only as good as your last game.  This is a humbling avocation that we are in.  The longer you are in this sport the more people you are going to meet, some you will care for and other you will not, but always remember to treat them all with respect because you never know who you will see again in another place and time and in a different role in this basketball world.  Some of the people you meet in this avocation will become good friends and you will do other things with them other then just officiate, and that's what this is all about, the friendships that you make and take with you for the rest of your life.

QUIZ TIME!

The following questions must be returned to Donnee L. Gray, MACBOA Supervisor of Officials postmarked or sent via email no later than February 23, 2008 to be in good standing and to be eligible for consideration of MACBOA assignments.

Officials working men's or women's basketball may answer the questions according to the respective codes.

Cut-and-paste the quiz and e-mail your test with answers to dgray@macboa.org.

Faxed submission will NOT be accepted as meeting the requirement.  Use E-mail or regular postal mail! 

PRINT NAME: _________________________________________________

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

Play 1: Team A scores with 59.9 seconds left to play in the second half. (1) The timer fails to stop the game clock. The official blows his whistle to stop the clock and to correct the mistake. During this stoppage, Team A requests a timeout. Or, (2) the official inadvertently blows his whistle to recognize a timeout request by Team A when the
ball is at Team B’s disposal for a throw-in. Or, (3) Team B is having difficulty in-bounding the ball because of defensive pressure and requests a timeout.
May these timeout requests be granted and when are substitutions permitted to enter the game?

Play 2: In the first half, the coach from Team A is assessed a direct technical foul for his unsportsmanlike behavior. Later in the game, Team A’s coach is assessed (1) a second direct technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. (2) a flagrant non-contact technical foul for his extreme, persistent, vulgar and abusive conduct.

Play 3: Team A is in control of the ball when A2 and B2 commit a double personal foul which is followed by a direct technical foul assessed to the coach of Team B.

Play 4: Team A is in control of the ball when A2 and B2 commit a double personal foul which is followed by a direct technical foul assessed to the coach of Team B.

Play 5. The ball is at the disposal of Team A for a throw-in along the sideline adjacent to the front court boundary line. A1 attempts to throw the in-bounds pass to A2, who is located in his front court near the division line. A1’s pass is deflected by B1. A2 leaves the playing court in his front court and while airborne, controls the ball, and then lands with one or both feet on the back court.

Play 6: A-1 is injured, replaced from the game, and is seated on the bench. The trainer from Team A is attending to Player A-1’s injury while the ball is live. Is this a violation of Rule 10-4.4?

Play 7: The official goes to the monitor to determine whether a flagrant foul occurred. Upon review, he determines that there is no flagrant foul but did observe (1) a personal foul, (2) an intentional foul, or (3) an unsportsmanlike act. May these infractions be penalized?

Play 8: During a free throw attempt by A-1, B-2 and B-3 mistakenly position themselves in the “old” first marked lane spaces adjacent to the end line on each side of the lane. Likewise, A-2 and A-3 occupy the next marked lane spaces above the block on each side of the lane. How should this be handled?

Play 9: A-1 is assessed a direct technical foul. B-6 and B-7 have legally reported to the official scorer. When may they legally enter the game?

Play 10: A-1 is assessed a direct technical foul. B-6 and B-7 have legally reported to the official scorer. A-1’s technical foul is his 5th disqualifying foul. When may B-6 and B-7 enter the game?

NJCAA Rankings

Men (D-II) As of 2/08/08

Men’s Division III Rankings – As of 2/8/08

Other schools receiving votes

NJCAA Women’s D-II Rankings As of 2/08/08

Members News!

Congratulations to Daniel & Tangie Phair on their new addition to their family, Miss Alexandra Olivia Alexis Phair, born on January 1, 2008, weighing in at  6 lbs. 1 ounce and is 20 inches long.

Retirement News – Carl Dudley will be retiring from the United States Air Force after serving honorably for 21 years .  All are invited to share in his joyous day of reflection and acknowledgement of a miracle.  Ceremony will be held on Ft. George G. Meade Maryland on February 22, 2008 commencing at 2:00 pm.

Get well wishes and speedy recovery to:  Donnee Gray, Wainwright Jackson, Fred Smith, and Fil Zucchi.

TURNER SPORTING GOODS:  
MACBOA Sportswear Now on Sale

Turner Sporting Goods is authorized to sell MACBOA logoed materials and merchandise.

Custom MACBOA embroidered Sweatshirt pullover available in White, Navy, Black or Sports Gray - $35

Custom MACBOA embroidered Polo Shirt available in White, Navy, Black or Sports Gray - $30

Custom MACBOA embroidered Sweat Suit (In Navy or Black) - $80

Custom MACBOA embroidered Baseball Cap (in Black, White or Tan) - $20

Please contact Harry Turner at 717-440-2191 or 240-420-1907

Turner Sporting Goods
106 Fairground Avenue #2
Hagerstown, MD  21740

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 avocatio04n.

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.

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Paste Entire Article Below:

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

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