I began my basketball officiating career when a jump ball opened each quarter or whenever a held ball occurred on the floor. (No, I wasn’t working when the bottom was still in the peach basket!) Then along came the alternating possession arrow. It was a change to the game that was well received and has made for smoother games in most cases.

However, the failure to have the arrow pointing in the correct direction can lead to confusion and frustration during a game. While the official scorer is responsible for the arrow, the officials on the floor should be aware when and if the arrow is changed.

A trick I was taught by a state final veteran was to place my spare whistle in a front pants pocket to match the arrow when I am facing the table. If the arrow if facing to my right, my whistle should be in my right front pants pocket. Each time the arrow changes, I should move my whistle to the other pocket.

However, an important point when using something like the spare whistle is to make it as unnoticeable and unobtrusive as possible. If everyone in the stands is watching you maneuver the whistle or anything else to help you, it isn’t a good idea. In fact, some assigners and state staffs do not approve of moving the whistle so it is a good idea to know what mechanics are approved in your area.

If my whistle does not match the arrow, I will never say that I am correct and the table is wrong. I ask a question to make sure the table is correct if my whistle disagrees. Many times during the year, I find that I failed to switch he whistle and therefore go with the table’s direction with little or no pause. A couple of times each year, however, my whistle saves us from a bad mistake. Allowing the wrong team to inbound the ball with the possession arrow is not a correctible error. Therefore, it is vital to get it right the first time.

All officials on the floor should verify, as possible, the arrow is set right at the opening tip. Giving it a glance after each inbounds using the arrow is also advisable. Don’t rely on one member of the crew to study the arrow. Knowing the possession arrow is correct is an idea that works!