Today we’re going to talk about the best way to improve your basketball refereeing game – hands down.
En – VIDEO REVIEW.
Video is the best weapon in your development arsenal.
It’s like having the opportunity to referee three games for every game you actually work on. Sadly, video is incredibly underused. While most officials talk about video … most never break down any video. They’re like a bunch of anglers talking about which reels work best, which spinning baits catch the most bass, and where to find the “big ones” … and then never go fishing. Everyone talks … no action.
For you, this is really good news.
The fact that it is so valuable and at the same time so underutilized should be a great motivator for you. In other words, if you are looking for an edge over the competition, this is it. If you want to separate from the field, this is your chance.
Reviewing the video of your games will greatly enhance your growth. Personally, I think your development will quadruple annually if you watch at least 50 percent of your games on video … within the first 48 hours after the game.
I hope you got that … four times the improvement in one year!
Or, to put it another way, I think you’ll fit four years of development into each season just by quickly breaking down at least half of your games on video. This is a powerful thing. And the only reason so few do it is that they lack the discipline to consistently implement this step to improve their performance.
You can probably come up with a million excuses why you can’t find the time to review your video. I challenge you right now to find some excuses to find the time. I can think of two from the start: the money at the top is very good and so is the prestige.
If you could get to the top four times faster, would it be worth the effort? You tell me.
So … your first step is to get videos of your games; get all the games if you can. Be creative. I can personally name at least 10 ways to record a game on video (even a JV game!). You can do it too if you think hard.
Next, you need to come up with a very disciplined method of reviewing your videos. Most officials only watch their videos to review them for “plays.” In my system, reviewing game calls comes long after positioning and position adjustments have been covered. There are three main categories for video review: Positioning, Play Calls, and Intangibles.
Finally, when reviewing videos, you should always take a step back and look at your development as a whole. Find your weak point … find your strengths … and then choose the areas that you are going to focus on. Bring those specific areas to your next game, watch them the next night on video, repeat …
The next thing he’s done now is he’s shot past his teammates. And all you did was be disciplined with video review.
Now you don’t have to go to camp to learn how to do a video review … you can really learn the basics of professional video review in the comfort of your home.
Back to the point … and I’ll sum this up in one sentence: Learn how to break down the video!
Until then, keep running around the court, blow the whistle, and have fun!