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NCAA Tourney May Expand;
Games are More Stressful;
Ref60 – No Substitute for Rules Knowledge;
Facebook Topics;
By the Rules;
Camp
NCAA Tourney May
Expand – There was a huge article in our paper on Friday with the title
of this item. We broke this story back on Wednesday on Facebook,
two full days before this article hit the news stands. The NCAA has met with
University Presidents, Conference Presidents, Athletic Directors and Coaches
to determine if there is any interest in expanding the field of 65 to 96
teams next year. We are cautioned that
this is only an idea and not a done deal.
As you would expect,
there are Coaches for it and against it. Coach K is on the record for it citing that
in the ACC, the only sure representative in the ACC Tournament winner and
this would allow for an automatic berth for the Conference winner as
well. K also thinks it would give MORE
relevance to the Regular season play. Many other coaches are for it citing the
growth in the number of Universities which stands at 347 now. Others applaud saying it would give teams
from smaller conferences a better chance of getting in. Several have spoken out against
expanding. Washington State Coach Ken
Boone likes it as is: “It’s a really special tournament when only 64 get in,
I really like the way it is now”.
Other Comparisons
– In Football, 68 teams out of 120 football playing schools get a Bowl game. That is 56 % of the teams. In Basketball, now only 18 % of the schools
make the playoffs. Other Pro Sports
with teams making playoffs are: NHL =
53 %; NBA = 53 %; NFL = 37 %; MLB = 26 %.
That in itself is a pretty compelling argument. But others argue that the lower percentages in Basketball is what makes it special. Like the Masters, just getting in is an
honor.
What’s Next – CBS
has an 11 year deal with the NCAA but the NCAA can opt out next year and put
the TV contract back up for bids. However much would have to be worked out
such as a revenue sharing deal with the schools, who would get byes, who the automatic bids would go to, how
much more would the student athlete be away from school, and more.
Villanova Coach Jay Wright said it best, “ I’m sure what’s best for TV is probably what’s going to happen; we’re
just playing the games, and we will be fine with whatever it is”
You’re Reading this
Sunday or Later – We broke this story last Wednesday on Facebook and have a Topic on our DISCUSSION Page for you
to voice your opinion. Is this good or
bad ? Do you
Like it or Not ?
Express your opinion over on the Facebook
Discussion Page.
Games are More
Stressful – This is the last week of regular season, teams are jockeying
for position. Some will make the
playoffs, some won’t. Don’t expect the
players, coaches or fans to like what you are calling. Just do your job; be a little understanding of what is at
stake. For the seniors, some will be
playing their final games ever, as most will not go on to play at the next level. They are putting that uniform on for the
last few times. This week and the
Conference Tourament next week will be the end of
the line for half the schools in North
Carolina.
Then one game in the Sectionals will take care of half that number. So
for ¾ of the schools, it’s about 5 more games and it’s over. That is sad to me so give em your best effort.
Conference
Tournament Week – Conference Tournaments start on Monday, Feb 15; coat and tie are
required dress for those games.
Sectional Tournament
Week – Sectional tournament week starts Monday, Feb 22; both the Boys and the Girls will play on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Coat and Tie required for these assignments.
Regionals in Greenville
– The Regionals will be
Mar 2 through Saturday, Mar 6.
State Championships
- The State Championships will
be Mar 13.
Technicals (Recap) – You must call me if a player
receives two technical fouls. A report
must go to Chapel Hill and the schools
involved. I will send the reports, but
you must call me with the information. There is a 24 hour deadline for this
report, I
want it that night after the game. It
is now a MUST.
Ref60 – Ref60
is an internet news letter that I get each month. This month’s title is “No Substitute for
Rules Knowledge” and goes into detail on Substitutes and Knowing the Rules
about Substitutes. I thought it was a
great article and very timely since we start tournament play after this
week. Please read and digest this
article from Ref60.
Player
substitutions are a constant and natural part of the ebb and flow
of every basketball game, so it is important for
officials to have a thorough understanding of what is permissible
in this area of inter-changing the 'moving parts' of the game...
While it is the
official closest to the table's responsibility to beckon substitutes,
it wouldn't hurt the game for each official to get in the habit of
sneaking a quick peek at the scorer's table to see if there is a player
waiting to report, or a player hustling to the table to enter the
game...
To digress for a
moment, the term "preventative officiating" certainly
can be a lightning rod for discussion on what our roles as officials
are, but one position is that we are servants of the game and
anything we can do to not antagonize coaches and players (denying substitutes
entry, putting the ball in play before both teams are ready,
etc..) will make everyone's game experience more enjoyable...What
is reasonable, what is logical and what is fair should be a part of our decision-making
process...
For a
conflict-free game related to substitutions, remember:
- A captain can request a defensive
match up
if 3 or more substitutes enter the game from the
same team.
- Between quarters,
halftime, and during a timeout, a substitute must
report or
be in a position to report to the scorer's table prior to the 15-second warning
horn.
- Substitutions between
halves
may be made by a team representative.
A substitute may
go IN & OUT of the game
without any time coming off of the clock, but they may NOT GO OUT & BACK IN... without the clock moving.
Here are a couple
other items to remember ...
- When a player is required
by rule to be replaced prior to administering any free throw(s) (i.e.
disqualification or ejection), then all other
substitutes
who have legally reported may also enter the game.
- A substitute who reports to the table
may be called back to the bench by the coach with no
repercussions.
- A substitute who enters
the court without reporting to the scorer's table
will be charged with a technical foul if it is discovered BEFORE the ball becomes alive.
If you follow
these "60 Second" reminders on the
parameters of replacing players, you will be able to rule
competently and confidently on making substitutions in your game...
Facebook Discussion Page – This page is our
on-going Opinion Poll page. Some of
the most recent topics added are:
Super Bowl Picks -- I put on a post just
in case you wanted to try to guess the winner and final score.
ACC Standings Feb 1 - We got a lot of ACC fans in our area, what
do you think of the standings.
Will or Should Favre Retire – Instead of waiting for him to hem haw, lets go ahead and decide it for
him.
Is Kobe Best Ever Laker – Kobe
just became the all time leading scorer for the Lakers passing the mark set
by Jerry West this week. Is he the best Laker ever ?
Who is Second
Best Ever Celtic - While you may not agree, I believe most people would say Larry Bird
was the best ever Celtic. I think the
argument would come in determining who is second best. But if you disagree, then tell me who your
best is, or
in our case, who is second best ?
Baseball Law Suit –
Read about the law suit by
a baseball player who got hit in the head while sitting on a bucket outside
the dugout. Voice your opinion.
Not Limited to One Item or One Post per Item – Many of our readers get on the Discussion
page and write on one topic only.
Shucks, write something about all of em. If it has Carolina on it, Randy Gibson writes on them
all. It is Ok for you to write on
every one of our topics. And you are not limited to one entry on each
topic. If you said something about
Randy Gibson on a topic, he would answer 11 times if 11 others wrote on it.
You can to. Hey, I have an opinion on every topic on
the board and every topic that has been on the board. We want to see yours. Jump in.
And it is not for EOA only. We
have had a few from other areas: Jimmy
Benford, Johnny Jones, Brad Allen, Kim Evans and
several others have participated. Join in the fun.
NFL Contest, Will Post Final Standings after Super Bowl
– Robert Farley took all the fun
out of this contest, closing everyone out early. After the game, I will figure the standings
all the way down the line and post them on NFL Comments.
BE A FAN” beside
Your DISCUSSION Tab ? – If there is a Be A
Fan beside your tab, please put
the cursor
on it and click. That will make you a fan of our Discussion
Page
By the Rules. Hey, I know this is working because I have officials asking me
about the answers they have found in the book. Only goes to prove that Rule Book is good
all year long, not
just for before the test.
By the Rules (This Week) # 10 – The team is White knocked the ball out
of bounds at mid court. The official correctly
points to Blue’s basket and signals Blue Ball. White calls Time Out. After the Time Out, the official mistakenly hands the
ball to White (the wrong Team) for the throw in. The White team inbounds the ball to a team
mate who immediately scores. The
officials now realize they have given the ball to the wrong team. Keep in mind we have not had a second live
ball. You are the referee, what is the
call ?
Refereeing Tip - A game lasts from the opening tip to
the final horn. Officials must referee
that entire time period. This does not mean you referee hard while the clock
is running and take the day off during dead balls and Time Outs. There are no lax times for the good
referee. He is alert the entire time
and especially during the dead ball periods.
You simply can not let what happened in the play above in your
game. Be alert, don’t let it
happen. We are coming up on tournament
play, the deciding games that will determine who advances in the
playoffs. Referee those dead ball
periods just as vigorously as you do the Live Ball periods. Concentrate, stay
alert.
Hit Counter - Hits Last Week = 698
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Tid Bits
Tommy’s Facebook Discussions – Click the Tab above in the third line to go to
our Discussion Board (a la Opinion Polls) on Tommy Mattocks Referee
Page. Go read what some of your fellow
officials as well as other sports fans think.
Click on the topic name and the reviews will appear.
Tommy’s Facebook Scores – Click this tab and you are at Tommy
Mattocks Referee Page Notes Tab. I
will list today’s date. Example: Scores for Friday, Dec 18.
You click on COMMENTS and enter your score, include if it is a Var Boys, Var Girls or JV Boys
or JV Girls.
ArbiterSports Site – This link will take you to
the Arbiter assigning program. For
your convenience, here is a link to the Arbiter Sports site: www.arbitersports.com Once at the page, there is a Log In box in the extreme
top right hand corner. I will leave
this link here during the season.
Camp Dates: June 20 – June 23 Print Brochure: CampBrochure.pdf
ARBITER Tid
Bit – Click on any official’s name on the
ARBITER and a drop down screen will show his address. Click on that address and MapQuest will provide a map to his house. Do the same
thing for a school for a map to that school or rec
gym.
My Email Address - eoa1@suddenlink.net (That is a # 1 behind the eoa,
not an “L”)
Home Phone – 252 522 2373
Cell Phone - - 252 559 0493
Mailing Address : 3000 Graham Dr, Kinston,
N C 28504
EDITION
# 607
Disclaimer,
Fine Print - This web page is not an official site or
endorsed by any organization such as the NCHSAA or the National Federation of
High Schools. Except for the Opinion
Poll Results, all items are the opinion, philosophy or belief of Tommy
Mattocks. It's sole purpose is to provide
information and entertainment for the EOA members, former EOA members and any
other interested readers. We apologize for any inaccuracies or misspellings
that may slip through the cracks. Read
at your own risk.
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