Basic Responsibilities of the Lead Stay in your primary Be square to baseline and facing your primary Find a reason to rotate (we want more rotations; not fewer) L does not rotate enough If ball rotates over and post players rotate over and L does not rotate, there is too much for C to watch Having two officials on strong side increases chances of off-ball fouls being called, especially rough play fouls Work the baseline Start wide and close down as ball comes to middle of court Never officiate in the paint; only use during rotations Stay back 1-2 feet from baseline if it gives you a better angle (angles should dictate your positioning–should be 90 degrees between players, not straightlined) Close down and prepare to rotate Must close down before rotating Use of drop step If you are too late in rotating and there is a drive to the basket from the other side of lane, L should drop off the baseline (from the closed-down position) to get a better angle Stay away from calling goaltending and basket interference Three point signals Only time you signal is on a fast break and leave hand up until T picks it up; don’t ever signal it is good Basic Responsibilities of the Center Must be active and have a good game Stay in your primary – you have enough area to officiate without having to go into your partners’ areas Stay straight up to court; only position that does this Dictates rotations on traps You initiate rotations 1% of the time (L must rotate over if you initiate it) This must be a trap, not just a dribbler on your side Ready to assist on out of bounds play Help on out of bounds calls on end line on your side of court if L needs help (get eye contact before signaling) Basic Responsibilities of the Trail Angle-in from the 28′ line Do not release the dribbler until the Center picks it up Center must usually pick up ball before T releases it, otherwise the ball could be watched by no one! T and C must continue all counts if they initiate them Two Trails are not good C should not be quick to move to T position; you usually have a great angle if you don’t move Trail the play in pressing situations Always trail the play C must be ahead of the play but don’t be too quick to turn around and leave C follows the crowd down the floor C must call fouls and block/charges if the dribbler quickly moves up court and T is trailing too far behind Rotation Overview Movement of Lead When your post player goes over, you will rotate 95% of the time As L rotates, T will step down immediately to C (on a string with L) Two Centers are okay Old C stays momentarily Avoid being in a big hurry Only go to T when you need to (you usually have a better angle as a C); you can even officiate in C position and go straight to the new L position on a change of possession L boxes in play Guidelines When Working the Lead Position Start wide Start between lane and 3 point line (never go out past three point line) Always watch primary but know where the ball is at all times through your peripheral vision Don’t be afraid to rotate Never rotate on a shot, drive, or rebound in progress; go back if you are in process of rotating and these three items occur When you rotate, watch the post players, don’t look at the outside players, the new T has them Close down Always make rotations from the lane line On rebounds, move out wide for better angles, you cannot see fouls if you are closed-down Ball settles below the free throw line Immediately rotate if you haven’t done so already Study the game Follow the post players Look for the first competitive match-up As you come across, look for your first competitive match-up (closest pair of post players) New C’s first competitive match-up is the L’s old primary and off ball Always stay in your primary Don’t make calls around the free throw line on jump shots or collisions; you are too far out and you are guessing; the C has the best inside-out look On drives down your baseline, don’t close down because it will give you a bad angle Your depth off the baseline depends on getting the best angle On rebounds this will be close to the baseline and wide; on post-play you’ll probably want to be deeper off the baseline to get a better angle Guidelines When Working the Center Position Don’t rush out at the C position on rotations (stay put) Watch post-play and curl plays that are off-ball; if you have the best angle you can even go across to the other side of lane Step down on shots and watch rebounds (get inside-out look between players to see displacement) Only initiate a rotation on a trap, not just because a dribbler is on your side; the L should initiate these Guidelines When Working the Trail Position Stay at 28 foot line Stay active and assist with post-play when the ball moves away from you Watch travels on the post players in L’s primary Watch goal tending and basket interference Step down on shots and watch rebounding Always know where the L is because you have to step down to C when he rotates to pick up the L’s old primary Other Aspects Double whistles C and L: split lane line, C’s primary is on his side of lane L and T: L is primary unless he picks up a drive late T and C: whoever the play is going towards has primary whistle Understanding where the play originates You may take a play on a block/charge if it originates in your primary since your partner may pick it up late Staying in your primary and trusting your partners Never officiate more than 4 players, that means a rotation should occur or you are watching outside your primary This is crucial for the C The person with the best angle on a play (90 degrees or inside-out between opponents) should make a call; do not look through players’ backs and guess because one of your partners should have a better angle Fast breaks Miscellaneous New L needs to look behind shoulder and beat play to spot between lane line and three point line (do not close down, you’ll have a bad angle on swipes away from you) so you are stopped and can accept a play L should not cut across the court, the C must make block/charge calls on his side of lane or ones that are high (near FT line); the L is secondary on these calls C must stay put on transitions; the more people in the back court, the deeper and longer you’ll stay. Also look for any cheap shots from emotions on the previous play (elbows in back, etc.); if you leave early, you and the new T will probably miss.
Follow the crowd and take foul calls sideline to sideline in the middle of the court, you have the best angle and the T will be straight-lined.