IGHSAU Basketball Memo #3
AD's and Coaches:
I hope you enjoyed a great holiday season. A blessed Happy New Year to you and your families. Hopefully, you had a little time to enjoy family and friends! The 2023 year is starting with some icy weather in parts of the state, but when the basketball games return, the games will undoubtedly be exciting. The IGHSAU staff has enjoyed getting out and watching some games and teams during the season. We are always impressed with the tremendous job our coaches and administrators do with our schools and athletic programs. Keep up the great work! As we all know, after the holidays and the Christmas break, teams begin to think about conference championships and preparation for post-season tournaments. The following information should help as we all prepare for the post-season. In addition, the latest officials' memo is included within this memo. It is important that the coaches and athletic administrators are aware of some focus points that are being shared with the basketball officials.
Bound- Girls basketball coaches have been doing an outstanding job updating statistics on Bound. A reminder that updates are required each Tuesday at noon. Please include the roster information; grades, heights, etc., as you update information.
Rankings- Weekly rankings will continue each Thursday of the season. The next rankings will be released on Thursday, January 5, 2023.
Regional Assignments - Classes 1A, 2A, 3A assignments will be posted the week of January 30, 2023 (likely on Thursday). Classes 4A and 5A will be released the week of February 6, 2023 (likely on Thursday).
Site availability – If you have not yet completed the site availability schedule (on Bound) for the post-season basketball games, please complete that by January 13, 2023. We will post the current list on the IGHSAU website on January 6, 2023 for you to check what has been submitted.
Post-season information – In the next couple of weeks, regional rosters and site host checklist information will be posted on the website as we get closer to the post-season. All post-season IGHSAU girls basketball games will be using Bound for the ticket admission-more information to come on the procedures.
Shot Clock Feedback – Coach and/or AD, if you have feedback regarding the shot clock, please email me with thoughts/feelings/how the shot clock gone and if the implementation of the shot clock has changed coaching strategies or impacted the games. Please email me at [email protected].
Gary Ross, Associate Director and Basketball Administrator
Things I would like for us to focus on the second half of the season and some of the observations we have noticed through the first half of the season.
The shot clock has gone pretty well. It looks like operators are doing a good job, and the officials have been adjudicating the spirit and intent of the shot clock. KEEP IT UP!!!!!
These are some reminders for you to share with your crew in your pre-game as we start the new year.
- A player replaced or directed to leave the game may not re-enter until after the clock has started.
- Any Coach or bench personnel assisted injury shall be removed unless a timeout is called and the situation may be corrected.
- Any player with signs of a concussion shall be removed from the game and may not return until cleared by an appropriate healthcare professional.
- Two hands on a player at any time is an automatic foul, regardless of severity.
- Placing a hand on an opponent for an extended period is a FOUL and must be called.
- Contact against a player in the act of shooting or dribbling the basketball must be a foul.
- Officiate feet up to officiate traveling effectively
- Keep players in the post straight up and control the physical play.
- CALL THE FIRST FOUL, and don't let physical play escalate into something more than a common foul.
- The clock starts on the legal tap of the jump ball.
Officiate YOUR area of responsibility!! Only fish in your own pond
Below is a note that I received from a very interested independent basketball junkie and clock operator from a 4A school. For me, it sums up what we are trying to accomplish as an official.
"Last night, even though the score did not really show it, our home team played in a fast-paced and highly contested basketball game. We had three officials who I had not seen before. These young men did an excellent job of controlling the game without you even realizing they were there. Mechanics were fantastic and calls decisive. Job well done! I just wanted to give them props as so many times these good jobs go unacknowledged."
Thanks for your efforts, and have a great second half of the season.
Have a great rest of the 2022-2023 Basketball season and we are sure we will see many of you as we go forward!!
Chuck Brittain, IGHSAU Coordinator of Basketball Officials