Gaining An Edge

I started the WVSAAC basketball officiating class at the beginning of this month. It's been four weeks and I'm realizing how much of advantage I'll be at when I'm able to implement the knowledge and experience I learn from reffing into coaching and teaching my players. Obviously, coaching is being able to teach and develop skill. That includes teaching both tactical and technical skills.

Becoming an official means being able to dissect the game and the rules for complete understanding and enforcement. Because I'll be gaining knowledge from a different perspective, I think I'll be able to more effectively teach my players the right way to play the game, as well as a better understanding of the rules.

Technical skills are important because I'll be able to teach my kids the right way to dribble without palming the ball, which is a call that the NCAA and other basketball organizations are trying to enforce more consistently. Guarding and defensive position are both things I'll feel more confident in teaching, because I'll know what is legal and what will be called.

A lot of calls are based on the use of tactical skill. Tactical skill is defined as the decisions and actions of players in the contest to gain an advantage on the opposing team or players. Most palming, displacement contact, and illegal screens are used to gain an advantage over an opponent, but isn't legal. Being able to teach the LEGAL ways of going about this will be critical.

Overall, I feel like I'm setting myself apart from other coaches with reffing. Not only is it a great way to network with coaches and organizations (if I earn the respect of them), I'll also learn intricate details and the correct interpretations of the rules, which I'll then be able to use in coaching my players. By the time I'm getting into my first coaching jobs, I will have seen the game of basketball from four different perspectives: the fan, the player, the coach, and the official.