As the first horn sounds to end the time out, I am in position to inbound the ball. My partners move to remind the two basketball teams to break the huddle. As we make eye contact, we are all smiling as wide as our mouths will allow. We are working a dream game. This is the type of game that every official wishes for, and we have it!

The game came about when the athletic director for North called to say he wanted to try an experiment in high school basketball. He had worked with his coaches and with the leadership down at South to make the experiment a reality.DONE The game had been an annual rivalry since the schools were part of the same school corporation, though they were located about 15 miles apart. The game featured cousins on opposite teams, married couples sitting on opposite sides of the gym, and all the furor that a week of preparation, pep rallies and media attention could muster. It was the basketball atmosphere that anyone older than 45 remembers from when he or she was in school.

What was going to make this game special, and the reason for the experiment, was the expectation of positive behavior from everyone in the gymnasium. The game was being designated “Sportsmanship Night,” and every fan would sign a contract before entering the gym. The contract spelled out the fans’ rules of behavior for the evening. They could not boo the other team, they couldn’t yell any negative comments at their own coach or players, and they must not demonstrate any disagreement with the calls or non-calls of the three officials. What official would not welcome the opportunity to work a game without the harassment of the crowd?

Behavioral expectations were also conveyed to the coaches and players. They were not to demonstrate anything but positive sporting attitudes toward their teammates and opponents. A group of school administrators from both schools was put in place to monitor fan behavior, and if at any time a person violated the terms of the contract, he or she would be immediately removed from the gym.

My crew arrived just as the junior varsity game was tipping off, and we took our seats to watch. It had been determined that while the expectations were in place during the junior varsity game, bad behavior would receive a warning there; a grace period, so to speak.

The gym was more packed than usual, so it didn’t seem that the contract hurt attendance. The cheerleaders were just as loud, and the band was in place. It was a pretty uneventful first half of the junior varsity game. We then went to the locker room to stretch and have our pregame discussion.

As an officiating crew, we had more than 70 years of experience between us. We all had experience in tournament-level games and had worked hundreds of contests together over the years. We all admitted we were just a little nervous preparing for this game because it would be so different. As officials, we work to avoid the spotlight, and yet it oftentimes catches us in its beam. We didn’t know if it would be brighter than usual that night, but we planned to be the most prepared we could be.

The pregame warm-ups were completed, the national anthem and introductions were concluded, and the fans were reminded by the public-address announcer of their contracts. It was time for me to toss the ball and get this game started.

The first minute went by with a couple of shots and everyone getting his game position set as in most games. Then, there was a quick steal by the South point guard and a drive to the basket. He dumped the ball backward to his center, who dunked the ball with authority. One of the North student fans yelled out, “Davis, you suck!” Immediately, school officials moved toward the student, and he was removed. I was thinking this may really work.

We had some contact on a drive to the basket, and the dribbler and the defender both went down, but there was no whistle. There was a bit of a collective groan from the crowd, but nothing worth acting upon. As we went to the other end, there was a quick pass, a leap, a jump stop and a shot. A male fan from about halfway up the South side of the gym shouted, “Travel!” and the next thing we knew, he was on his way out the door!

You could tell the message was taken seriously by all of the fans, and they were doing their best not to demonstrate anything but positive support for their own team. During the break between the first and second quarter, the crew met at midcourt, and we admitted we were concentrating on getting the calls right more than ever. We didn’t want to be responsible for a fan yelling and being removed from the gym.

The game progressed through the first half with just a couple more fans leaving. The halftime lead for North was five points, thanks to a midcourt shot that banked in as time expired. It was a very competitive game, and I think everyone was feeling positive about the contract and how it was enhancing the experience.

About midway through the third quarter, a player from South made two bad passes on consecutive possessions. When he completed the second bad pass, an assistant coach shouted his name, kicked backward into the bleachers, and shouted, “Are you gonna wake up tonight?” Seconds later, he was being escorted away by his athletic director.

That was as close as we came to any issues with coaches and players. The student sections were surprisingly cooperative, as there were only a few minor comments or boos coming from them. It thinned the herd a bit, but all in all, the students demonstrated an ability to support their team without exhibiting the negative chants and behavior we often encounter in high school sports.

As an officiating crew, we had a couple of block/charge calls that no one booed. We had a goaltending call that wasn’t argued. We never once had a player look at us and say, “I didn’t touch him.” The head coaches asked what we saw from time to time, but never yelled at us to “Get his hands off” or to “Watch his feet.”

So, here we are back at the time-out. We have just a few minutes to play in a tie game. This has been a dream game to officiate, and it seems to have been a very positive experience for all involved. Maybe this will catch on! If we can just get to the end of the game without any issues …

I hear the second horn to end the time-out. The problem is, it is my bedside alarm clock, not the gym horn. This really was a “dream” game. Oh, well, we can always hope that someday we can officiate a game where sportsmanship is the driving force for everyone playing and watching the contest.