"C" is for Choreography

Choreography is sensationalized with cheerleading, MTV videos, and Broadway shows. But choreography sneaks into our lives in some unusual ways. I got to thinking about a lesser known interpretation of the word choreography when I was officiating a high level class A Maine basketball game last night. Choreography is an intentional arrangement of an action series that gets a desired response. Basketball fans and coaches reward those officals who "sell" their message, many times without regard to what the message actually is.

Officiating very much an interpretive dance: the feeling of a call is conveyed by speed, concision, rhythm, and presentation: a quick whistle and signal at the foul site may convey over-eagerness, while a slower whistle a deliberate signal may have a calming effect. A hesitant signal conveys a lack of confidence about your call, and glancing at your partner sometimes has that same effect. Then you have to run to the table, and repeat that information, with the coaches in your ear about the interpretation. So choregraphy is a factor here: do you talk to the coach or ignore the coach

Talking to the coach requires finesse: do you explain the rule, defend your call, make a joke, or rule that technical foul you thought about earlier. As a high school official, you have an obligation to basketball to respect the rules and offer at times to be an educator. But holding a rules clinic mid-game might seem condescending and take the game out of rhythm.

The competetive nature in us makes us want to defend our ruling, as we are rule "experts." But the connotation of this is that you are closed minded, or personally against this coach or team and are out to "get them."

Making a joke is sometimes a good option, but it takes excellent situational analysis to pull off successfully. Veteran officials understand how to diffuse these situations with a simple one-liner ('I get paid by the whistle' (John Schoppe) or my personal favorite 'I don't think that call is going in my highlight reel')). When used successfully, these self-depreciating jokes have a calming effect without altering the integrity of the game. But a joke can also escalate a situation if the context is inappropriate.


Ruling technical foul is another choreography all in itself, especially after it is ruled AFTER an offical initiates a discussion. The basketball rules are explicit on what type of conduct warrants a technical foul, but again veteran officals understand that context is important.


Now ignoring a coach is an easy option, especially for younger officals like myself. It's much easier to avoid a confrontation and maintain a stalwart like appearence. But appearing cold and robotic makes you seem...well cold and robotic. Appearing as a static figure in a dynamic game like basketball implies you aren't adapting to the game, that your rulings are consistant throughout time and environment without regards to the game at hand. And theoretically, the rules are not different between venues. But incidental contact (a foundational ruling made without a whistle) changes from game to game, from match-up to match-up. A bump from a 6'4" 220 pound point guard on a 5'6" weak ball handler might be ruled a foul while similar contact on a stronger ballhandler may be legal. So consistantly ignoring a coach might be a safe option, but gives the image that you are not ready to referee higher level games.

In conclusion, officiating basketball is a delicate choreography that requires intense practice and reflection to master. While rules and mechanics knowledge are essential for success, demeanor, rhythm, and strong contextual awareness are paramount to success at high levels. "Selling a call" is more than just a way to convince yourself that it is right, it conveys a lot about your dynamic nature as an offical. So the take-home message is this: even if your ruling is disagreeable, the subsequent verbal and non-verbal dialogue you particpate in determines the efficacy.

And of course, this is a huge metaphor for life in general, but anyone that know me knows that already:)