By Tim Sloan
It’s well known among the basketball crowd that, “You can’t teach tall.” You can train players to dribble, shoot, pass and guard, but unless your team casts some long shadows in the paint, winning will be a tougher prospect. That same idea raises an interesting question about basketball officials’ appearance and the role it plays in how the game is managed.
Does the same truism apply to officials? You don’t have to be 6-foot-5 to be a great basketball official. If you are, however, coaches and teams seem to be a little more patient with you making an impression. There’s some “fitting the mold” that applies here. Years ago, NHL officials boss Stephen Walkom said players have more respect for the referees who are great skaters; since it’s a skill that distinguishes the best players, it must say something about a linesman, too, right? They must understand the game better.
At another juncture, I was an assistant referee on a big semi-pro soccer game, lined up with the players for the national anthem. The visiting goalkeeper was standing beside me and asked pleasantly, “You guys cops?” At 6-3 and 205 pounds, I was still smaller than the tavern manager and automotive engineer working with me.
Perception is your first calling card; people form opinions on what they expect to see in officials.
This all came home to roost with me recently when I worked a varsity high school boys’ basketball game with two females. Both are small college women’s officials. Their game knowledge was solid and their judgment calls were spot-on. Between the three of us, we maintained a threshold for call/no call that persisted throughout.
Despite that, there was still a vibe of skunk-in-the-pup-tent afoot: It ran from some smart-ass comments drifting out of the student sections to one or two adults acting like they weren’t allowed to talk around them. I don’t care if someone’s purple as long as they can do the job; maybe that’s why I was there, too. The issue — if there was one — was that their presentation had been sculpted in a different environment than the rather novel one in which we were now working. It was an emotional and physical game, and I could tell they were aware of the scrutiny.
I found myself coaching them during timeouts to keep their shoulders square, their facial expressions composed and their dead-ball movements deliberate. Both women come up to about my shoulder, so I couldn’t teach them “tall,” but I realize I was coaching them to be like tall, growing into the job.
When you look at your own game, there is much to be said for mastering the visual cues that make you more successful. Those are the little things that help the contestants believe you’re committed, confident and in charge. They plant the seed in their minds that, when anything weird happens, “Well, (s)he must know what (s)he’s doing …” That benefits everyone. So, let’s go through a list of some of the more salient things to work on.
Grooming
Look the part. Wear a clean uniform and coordinate with your partners so you all match. Neaten your coif, brush your teeth, manage your facial hair — boy, that’s lost on some people. You don’t need to look like Ken/Barbie, but you can dress like them, and it helps.
Stature
This begins from the moment you walk out for the warmup. If you’re supposed to observe the players for dunking or illegal equipment, do that. Find a comfortable stance, balanced on both feet, with hands and arms somewhere “businesslike.” Hands behind the back or arms comfortably folded works; hands-in-pockets, looking around or kibitzing with friends is a bad look.
During the Pregame
When meeting and greeting anyone, make eye contact, have a pleasant expression and provide a solid handshake or fist bump: Seem interested, even if you threw the bum out in your last meeting. Thank the table people for their help and get everyone thinking you’re there to work together. There’s a lot to gain by setting a good mood before anything has gone wrong.
Move with a Purpose
You don’t have to run around like a squirrel on the interstate, but don’t get caught dogging it either. When play stops, move briskly to your next position. Your goal is for all three of you to be in position, waiting for the players to restart play. When the teams are moving at the comfortable pace you set, good things happen; you tend to keep them too busy playing basketball to give you as much of a hassle.
If you’re supposed to observe the
players for dunking or illegal equipment,
do that. Find a comfortable stance,
balanced on both feet, with hands and
arms somewhere “businesslike.”
Stature 2
Keep your head up and eyes on the players as you move around the court; don’t let transitions be your opportunity to look at your feet until you arrive at new lead. During timeouts, remember what we covered about observing the pregame; the same applies. When observing play, present yourself as alert, but not tense; you do that with quiet head and arm movements, and by standing still without rocking. When you do have to change angles or transition across the lane, move punctually and deliberately. Act like you’re applying your experience to get ready for what might happen next. The longer you’ve been refereeing, you are.
Whistling
Let your whistle express your opinion about what made you blow it. Blowing your brains out every time a ball goes out of bounds is both annoying and suspicious. Offering a little toot on that block/charge with two seconds left in a tie game doesn’t scream confidence. Learn when to be a little louder or longer (or the opposite) in situations; done properly, it helps more people understand who’s boss for the evening, and how little help you need.
Signaling
To some extent, your signals can have a touch of your personality in them. I might chop my wrist a little more firmly than others, but I won’t make signals that look so odd they draw attention. Fitting into the mold by being prompt, firm and dispassionate will win the day.
Conversing
You probably said during the captains meeting they and their coaches would be welcome to ask questions as time/situation permitted. So, let them ask questions and, when they do, show respect. Keep a neutral expression, relaxed body language, and present as engaged. If there comes a point to curtail the conversation, be firm and impersonal about it. When you’re in these tete-a-tetes, most observers can’t hear what’s being said but they will guess by how they see you acting; be beyond reproach.
Conclusion
I’ve only worked a couple thousand games in my life, but I’m forming this opinion: Following the tips listed above are qualifiers; they don’t make you a great official but are behaviors exhibited by those who are. You aren’t a great official just because you look like one of the folks on the cover of this magazine. Looking like that simply buys you the opportunity to be judged fairly on your knowledge, judgment and performance.
Stand up to the challenge and make believers of them all.
Tim Sloan, Davenport, Iowa, is a high school football, basketball and volleyball official, and former college football and soccer official.
