WEEKLY REPORT - GD3

Dear Referees.

Thank you for your performances during the last week. Thank you also to BCL Referees working in other European Club competitions. Special thanks to ''stand-by' 'Referees, who are ready to ''jump'' in any moment when it is necessary.

Our ''engine'' is working, now we are in high speed of the competitions. Below you can find some technical details, recognized by Video Observers:

UF SITUATIONS

We were ''inside the box'' with the number of called UFs, also regarding the percentage of successful judgment. From 12 UF situations, we had 2 wrong decisions, that is 17%. Plus, one decision should have been called as UF. We didn't check IRS, and wrong decision - PF.

IRS SITUATION

We had 12x IRS usage, all inside the Protocol. Correct final decisions: 11.

KEEP/ IMPROVE

To improve:

• ''Fake being fouled'' - there is still room for improvement, some of the Referees were not decisive enough.
• The number of unnecessary double whistles in obvious plays should be reduced
• AMI - work to have an open angle, to control AOS, especially three-point attempts and position of Trail Referee. Too many times Trail is in a straight-line position.

I would like to share with you some aspects on which we should put focus, as areas of our improvement:

ACT OF SHOOTING - ugly but regular defensive player's action

One of the characteristics of the top Referees is patient whistle.

Another one is active mindset.

Together with proper mechanics we can see and make proper decision.

What we have recognized in AOS actions: because of close angles, because of ''ugly looking'' defensive players' actions, in BCL we are doing many easy and wrong calls. It is time to stop with these cheap, easy calls in the act of shooting. We can see more and more frustrated players after that kind of our wrong calls. The majority of players is not protesting, but when you combine their reaction/ frustration with the video of the play situation - it is very clear visible wrong call by the Referee. And this occurs because of a lack of respect of fundamentals from my first three short sentences.

BODY LANGUAGE

From round to round it is visible that a lot of you are working on your body language as part of your presentation on the court. It is a very positive issue. Some of you completely changed your body language, now you are looking confident in that area also. What is not good? That some of you pass over the border of nice looking Referee on the court. Too many gestures, walking as ''heroes'' on the court, with your body language instilling the impression that you like to look as ''king'' of the court. Please, calm down, stay natural, approachable. Actors of the games are players, not Referees.

FIBA OFFICIAL SIGNALS

Another area of improvement. From the outside, we can see too many ''private, homemade'' signals. Also ''copy paste'' NBA signals. We have our FIBA Rules Book, with our signals for reporting. Advice from my side - please, remove unnecessary focus on ''original, own signals''. Again, you are role models, we don't like that the young generation of Referees will be, from your side, infected by the ''homemade or copy paste'' signals.

IRS USAGE

IRS system is a tool which in modern, fast basketball game becomes very helpful in tough situations when we have at the same time a lot of different actions in primary AOR of each Referee. From my side, I am the first person to promote modern technology, as a tool in modern officiating. What did we recognize during some games in BCL, and also other competitions?

For some of you IRS has also become a tool to clarify obvious, simple situations. Sometimes it seems that your approach is (in obvious situations) that IRS is the fourth Referee on the court. And what do we have? Games close to two hours. Often, an unnecessary stoppage of the game, unnecessary influence on the tempo of the game, unnecessary usage of IRS in obvious situations can show your comfort zone approach, no active AMI, no proper focus from your position in 3PO play coverage.

Communication during the IRS usage: it is very important to communicate with the TV operators clearly, briefly, with fluent English. All regarding correct IRS Protocol.

Below you can find kind of reminder how to use IRS.

I know that you ''know'', but if you ''know'' please show it during the IRS usage.

Dear Referees, as we are talking form the last Season, the competition format is smaller, practically Teams play for each point until the last second of each game. Because ''each point counts''. Be concentrated, there is no time to relax from our side. The end of the Regular Season is coming very soon. Expect expected- tensions, pressure, tough games, tough situations, behave in ''lion'' mode.

We wish you successful week, safe travel and keep focus on C-19 measures.

Davorin

& Video Observers