IAABO Executive Director Tom Lopes and company are busy putting the finishing touches on their upcoming Fall 2010 Seminar slated for September 10th - 12th in Portland, Maine and it promises to be three jam-packed days of basketball training and networking that every official will find both rewarding and relaxing.

Scheduled to headline the seminar in the "Pine Tree State" is Barry Mano, President of NASO and editor of REFEREE MAGAZINE and he will speak on, "The 23 Most Powerful Lessons of Officiating."

On the program for 2010 is Peter Webb, IAABO's Coordinator of Interpreters, who will present the new rules and points of emphasis for the coming season. 

Also on tap for presentations are Terry Moore of USA Basketball and FIBA, who will unveil IAABO's new instructional material for the 2010-11 season, and Alan Goldberger, a noted sports attorney, who will review the "Concussion Rule," to name just a few of the agenda items.

The members of the IAABO Boards in Maine have collaborated to put together a great set of activities to show off their home state, that is aptly nicknamed, "Vacationland" and warmly welcomes all IAABO members to attend.

For more information on the IAABO Fall 2010 Seminar ... CLICK HERE.

Or to register ... CLICK HERE

Public speaking, golf and basketball officiating are three activities I have long thought could lull a person into a false sense of security that anyone can do them, after watching someone perform these specific tasks with great proficiency...

The glib and confident orator who keeps a room full of people hanging on their every word; the graceful golfer who routinely places the little white ball in designated targets seemingly with the greatest of ease, and the basketball official who works in concert with his/her partners to manage the skills and temperaments of fiercely competitive players, coaches and even spectators...

They make it look so easy, the uninformed can become convinced that anyone with half a brain and who is fairly coordinated can do it...

This is the time of year when basketball officials wait anxiously for word that they have received an assignment in the second season -- the playoffs...

While the process may seem to be shrouded in mystery, most of the determining factors are within your grasp to impact whether or not you move on to work the tournament.

 John Koskinen, a respected veteran supervisor that has assigned and officiated at the high school and collegiate level, shares some of his thoughts on why officials might not get the games they are looking for in March.

The following are some reasons assignors give officials when asked:

"Why didn't I get a playoff assignment?"

Peter Webb, the current IAABO Coordinator of Interpreters, provides some insightful commentary on preparing for the upcoming post-season tournament action.  As always the focus on pride and professionalism is a cornerstone of every IAABO official's approach to the game.

Click HERE to DOWNLOAD a preview to an upcoming article from the IAABO Sportorial.

ALTERNATING POSSESSION is a method of putting the ball in play (by a throw-in) in specific instances to eliminate some jump ball situations.  The goal was to eliminate the difficult to administer jump ball scenarios and speed up the overall game.

The scorer must record the jump balls (and changes) for the alternating-possession procedure and will be responsible for setting (and changing) direction of the possession arrow.

The following are situations where the alternating-possession procedure should be used.

Ron Foxcroft always had a problem with whistles. "They have a cork pea in them and when you blow a pea-whistle really hard, nothing comes out. When they're frozen or wet or get some dirt inside, they lose their efficiency." As a result, Foxcroft, like many other referees, sometimes found himself unable to stop play even though he saw a clear violation take place. In a fast-moving game like basketball, a whistle that fails does not get a second chance to sound. In a really big game, even when the whistle did work, the play occasionally was not stopped because the whistle's sound was drowned out by the noise of the roaring crowds.

Eventually, he decided it was up to him to improve the situation. "60 Seconds on Officiating recently interviewed Ron to learn the genesis of this "pea-less" idea ... as he launched the Fox 40 company.