March Letter to Officials

21.03.2021

Dear BCL Referees

As we begin the second part of the BCL Play-off games, we must keep in our minds the additional pressure on all participants in these decisive games. As such, we must be on high alert with maximum preparation, concentration, and execution of our service to the League.

Firstly, I would like to thank and congratulate you on your high-level work and successful contribution to the BCL Competition so far this season. As I have previously mentioned in other communications, the impact COVID-19 has had on this season has been great, but your willingness and commitment has meant we have been able to provide our high-level services to the BCL Competition, and always ensuring we have had 3 nominated officials at all games.

We feel our continuous education programme through the period of April to October 2020 gave us very positive results and your execution of this additional education has driven our standards to new heights since the competition period started in October. The BCL Referee department feels we have listened, been flexible, and adapted our support of you during the season whilst still allowing the Video Observers to focus on our individual approach to the support we have offered. As always, we will continue to look at the fine detail of your officiating in an effort to continue our and your improvement; here are a few fine details we feel can still be improved.

  • Screening situation
  • Low post play control
  • IRS usage in important situations
  • Team's coverage of 'end of game situations'

01. SCREENING

This is an area of big improvement. We now have referees who have an active mindset and are ready to control, with correct judgement, the screening situations. The area we feel where we could still improve is around the area of 'fake being fouled'. In our opinion, with the respect of the fundamentals, we can reduce our mistakes.

Fundamentals:

  1. Focus on my primary
  2. Active mindset, expect the expected from both the screener and the defender. Know their 'tricks'
  3. Do not hesitate to make and call the correct decision, do not calculate

02. LOW POST PLAY CONTROL

LEAD

  • Use the cross-step, go opposite, do not follow the play with your movement
  • Be stationary, prepare your vision for the correct evaluation of the LPP situation
  • Expect illegal contacts from the offensive and defensive players
  • Focus on possible travel violations, focus on pivot foot first

TRAIL 

  • Be ready for dual coverage, have an active mindset. 
  • We need your recognition/support for what Lead can't see - push from the back on a spin-move around the defensive player, or possible travel violation.

03.IRS USAGE - IMPORTANT SITUATIONS

IRS as a tool is extremely helpful in our job role. Trust that the IRS system will help us make the correct final decision, don't hesitate to use it, especially in those decisive moments/parts of the game. Of course, inside the IRS protocols/possible usage situations.

04.TEAM'S COVERAGE OF 'END OF GAME SITUATIONS'

For the coaches and players, the most important element of our officiating is making the decision, proper call or no-call. They really don't care about our fundamentals in officiating as - IOT, AOR, POE, AMI, OA, DUCE..... - it's purely about the correct decision, and that is our responsibility. With an active mindset, respect of the fundamentals, and our readiness as a Team to cover all possible plays and situations, we will make those correct decisions in the 'last actions', to save the game.

In the next few days, we will publish a few topics for your continue education from our 'real life' situations that have been created by our Video Observers, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them again for the great support and service they offer.

To finish I would just like to stress the importance of your highest level of officiating in these final parts of the BCL 2020/2021 season. As usual, we'll have some coaches or players who will be looking for someone else to blame when they fail to reach a positive conclusion to the game; concentration, teamwork, courage, firmness, and fairness from the first to the last second must be achieved by us. With these words and a firm belief in your capabilities to produce performances of the highest quality, I wish you a successful continuation of the BCL season.

Davorin

and

Video Observers Team