Game Log 1/19/2007: We'll focus on the one play.

Tonight was ugly. A million billion fouls. We as a crew, I think, didn't have a great night. There were times when they were calling fouls and I wasn't. There were times when I was calling fouls and they weren't. I don't think there's anything we could have done to make this game have flow, and we certainly didn't affect the outcome of the blowout game. But I'm not satisfied with the performance. For my own reasons (not the least of which is the lateness of the hour), I will focus on the one that went wrong and ask for help for ways to avoid it.

Red was down by about a dozen at half, and White totally blew it open in a lopsided third quarter (which included a good number of press-related turnovers). On the play in question, I was C running up in front of Red's bench. The press was on and the ball was coming up the sideline right behind me. I set up next to the Red coach and turned my head to the left to pick up the ball. The kid crossed -immediately- in front of me, and when I turned my head--surprise!--there was a defender on the sideline. Damned if I know how she got there, or how long she'd been there (it could have been an hour or not at all). Big collision right by me. I had no choice but to toot the whistle. Player control. Red coach goes nuts.

In retrospect, if I wasn't sure in that situation, I probably shouldn't have called it against the team getting blown out. Game awareness later.

After the game, my partners told me I missed the call, and I know why I missed the call...I didn't pick up the defense soon enough. My question is, as C in that situation, what could I have done to prevent that? Not picked up the ball? Not been so far downcourt? Please help me?

Anyway, this brought about an unfortunate chain of events. I could have handled talking to the coach...I would have told him I picked up the defender late, and I wish I had another look at it, and it would have been fine (this coach likes me). But since we were going the other way, I had to run away from the coach instead of told him. He hollered at me from his bench: "SHE WASN'T SET!" It was loud. Bad news: Partner heard instead, "YOU GUYS SUCK!" That's a T...for something she misheard. To be fair, it was a good T anyway...he was outside the box and yelling loudly. But this whole damn thing could have been avoided if I had:

1. Gotten the damn call right in the first place.
2. Been able to talk to the coach.
or
3. Been able to communciate that I'd chat with him later.

It was just one of those things, I guess. We'll move on.

We tried to loosen up a little (with varying success) in the fourth quarter. Then, with a couple of minutes left, the teams cleared their benches. I did my only poach of the night...had a foul on the body across the lane...an and-one for the winning team. I never should have poached that. Partner gave me a major, major evil eye. Not sure I merited that...it was just a mistake, not an attack...but I shouldn't have called it.

Not long thereafter, there was nearly identical body contact at the other end of the court. This time it was definitely in my area. I called it again.

This was a part of a lengthy lecture partner gave me after the game. "Let the clock run!" she said. In this situation, with players getting some of their only playing time of the year, well, I don't want to be too lasseiz-faire. I'll protect the shooter. Could I have let it go? Yes. But I stand by that second call.

THINGS I DID WELL: Posture was good. I think I slowed down a bit.
THINGS TO WORK ON: A few double whistles, a poach, and a bad charge call (that I need help to figure out how I could have avoided).
NEXT UP: The massive game has been rescheduled for Monday. I wish I could have gone into it off of a better game than this, but I'd had so many good ones in a row prior to this one that I can shake it off.