DAN SCAVONE- CIAC SUPERVISOR OF OFFICIALS

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
See you see officials associations on theadvisory board. He heads up that and
he supervises that. But he also, as I mentioned before, I think
he has charge of some sports toUH field hockey, boys and girls,
lacrosse and wrestling. And you haveall those sports, right Dan, I
do, George. I also handleall the sports mentioning so in schools,

(00:24):
you know, desire to play outof state? Oh you do, okay?
Yeah? And then I I alsouh work with the committee that actually
puts together the sports schedules, youknow, the season Seasonal Limitations committee.
So we put together calendars for thefall, winter, and spring season.
Oh very good. How long youbeen up there? Say? You see?
Now working for them? This ismy fifth year, fifth year.

(00:46):
So before that you were at severalplaces, right, yes, I retired
from education in Berlin High School asthe athletic director, right and moved.
And it was the timing was uhwas right? You know. Joe Tanelli,
one of my mentors, retired atthat time from CI A C.
And I was fortunate enough to takeover many of his duties along with the

(01:10):
retiring Bob Leir at CIA. That'sright, you're right, okay, Now
you do have the officials under you, hair, you have all the officials
of every sport, Dan. Yeah, The CSC Officials Association essentially brings all
the officials groups into the fold andthey're they're all part of the c I
C team and across all sports.We have forty eight boards, local boards,

(01:36):
prous, state and our officials.Yeah, so our official advisory Board
as a representative of each sport andwe meet twice a year as a group
and then we have a big largerstatewide meeting in June. Okay, basketball
now with really major changes this year. One obviously the shot clock coming in

(01:57):
thirty five second shot clock and allso of course the fact there are now
four team files allowed and on thefifth fall, which happened very quickly and
last night's came, I can tellyou that they shoot two for the rest
of the rest of the quarter.Then they reset the falls back to zero
team files at the beginning of eachquarter and there's no more one in ones

(02:19):
their history now, so no moreof that. But the shot clock,
what has been your feedback. Let'stalk about the shot clock first. Thus
far, it's gone better than expected, I think schools and as well as
their new shot clock operators and officialshave adjusted pretty well. Of course,
they've had plenty of times. Prepareyou know, we've had five, six

(02:43):
seven clinics across the state in thepreseason, and then there was plenty of
time to practice with the scrimmage games. And thus far I've seen minimal problems.
I wouldn't even call them problems.I just think they're more or less
adjustments. And it's gone pretty well. Not think it's impacted the game in
any negative way at all. It'sokaything, it's been a positive. Now,

(03:06):
if you're doing the shot clock,you have to know certain things.
Obviously, when does the shot clockchange when you When do you change the
shot clock to new possession? Uh, when the team has well, when
it hits the rim or what?Yeah, exactly if the ball hits the
rim and then upon you know,upon a repossession, you're going to change

(03:30):
the back lot. So, unlikewhen you watch college basketball, in high
school basketball, we both committees feltthat on any change or any reset,
we would use a full reset ofthirty five seconds. Okay, okay,
yeah, I see what you mean. All right, Yeah, you didn't
go like, oh, we're goingto use twenty seconds. If it's so

(03:51):
yeah, Okay, I got it. No, the offensive if the offensive
team maintains possession off off at ballhitting the rim on an offensive rebound,
full reset. Yeah, and thathappened. That happened several times in last
night's game. When the team keptgetting missing shots and getting their own rebound,
it just resets again. And ofcourse, airball airballs, it keeps

(04:11):
running correct. Air balls got hitthe rim. Yes, And that's one
of the things that one of thethings I've noticed that I think will get
better over time. You know,if you have a team that's holding the
ball and it gets dound that closelast five seconds of the shot clock cycle
and a shot is released and theballs in the air and the horns sound,

(04:32):
it's important for players and officials towait a second, wait, wait
and see what happens with that shot. If it doesn't hit the rim and
it's possessed, it's possessed by theopponent without any loose ball, it's a
play on. You know, youdon't have to you know, you just
play on. But if that ballis you know, not secured by any

(04:55):
team and it's loose, and thenthe official will blow the whistle, it
will be a shot clock violation.So it's important for everybody, players,
coaches, shock clock operators know thatyou don't played as a stop unless you
hear a whistle just because you hearthe horn. You don't stop playing until
you hear a whistle. Okay,that's the most important thing. Keep playing.

(05:15):
You're right, So the problems areminimal. That's great. That's good
because that's a major change in basketball. The major change. Although well,
from what I've seen of the youknow, Henry and I have a couple
of games we've seen they get shotsoff. Sometimes you don't have to worry
about shot clock because they get theshots off. They get the shots off

(05:36):
pretty quick. Sometimes they hoist themup and that's it. I mean,
they're not worried about the chacklic youknow what I mean. So that part
hasn't been a problem. What aboutnow the four file team files and then
two on the fifth and I'll behonest with you, you can get those
four if if the officials and let'sface it, last night of your there

(05:59):
were fifty seven foul shots taken inthe game last night, a lot of
files last night, and they usedup their files. Hellos in West Haven,
I mean, Hellos used them upin the first quarter, like in
about two three minutes, it wasover now West Haven shooting to the rest
of the of the quarter, andof course you reset the next quarter.
But uh, what about feedback there? Because a guy came up to me

(06:23):
last night, gentlemen basketball you knowfollows. He said, Boy, I
don't like that rule at all.By the time you know, you had
fourteen fALS of shooting two file shots, it becomes a foule shooting contest.
Well that's how about playing defense withyour feet not your hands. I don't
know what are your thoughts about that? You know, I think I think

(06:45):
the game you watched last night isnot the norm. I think most of
the games I've watched it hasn't betterto flow the game, especially you know
when you reset them every quarter,right. I think that the Federation went
to this rule change for two reasons. Number One, the front end of
the one and one, you're reallythey've reflected data and there's been injuries on

(07:08):
that front end of the one andone. So what this basically does is
eliminates half of the amount of fileshots probably taken throughout a game. And
and and secondly, it was used. It was put in place to better
have a better flow in the game. I think by resetting the files to
zero, you know, a gamelike last night, you would have been

(07:30):
in the one and one really reallyquickly, right, I think made in
the first quarter would yeah, right, you would have been. You would
have been in a one on onesituation and a double bonus rather quickly,
and you would have had to staythat way throughout the whole half. That's
correct. So at least in atleast in this situation at the end of
the first quarter, if it's thatbad, you're going to reset and you're

(07:53):
going to have a better flow forat least two three, four minutes.
So I think. I think withwhat those folks that are giving your feedback
on is that it wouldn't have beenany different in the old style, you
know. So I think overall andmost of the majority of the games,
it's gonna be a benefit. Andagain I think that along with the shock

(08:18):
clock, it's going to change theway some coaches coach, especially at the
end of the game. You know, you said to me, you didn't
see many instances where that shock clockcame in the factor in terms of teams
having to rush to take a shot. But I think what it does does.
What it does do is change theend of the game. In other
words, if you're down two,three, four points in a game,
you don't have to resort to followingor two and a half to go.

(08:41):
You can actually play good defense,get a rebound, and this way things
won't get sloppy. A good playermight not follow out, and you might
cut down on some aggressive play atthe end where kids are trying to follow
each other. So I think thegame is cleaner at the end of the
game with the shocklock and with thisnew rule on the double bonus on your

(09:01):
fifth foul. Okay, I mean, as I say, obviously you're right
in a sense. I don't thinkI saw a quote typical game last night.
No, I would think not.I don't want to do games and
have fifty seven filess I can tellyou that. But were the officials given
any special instructions, things to do, things to watch before this season started

(09:26):
with the shot clock, with thenew foul situation, I mean anything they
were You know, they always saysometimes what do they call them points of
emphasis that usually give out What werethe points of emphasis this year for the
officials? Well, so this year, this year, that rule revision clinic
that all officials have to pay eachyear happen to be a little bit longer

(09:50):
and probably a little bit more detailedbecause of the amount of changes and the
significance of the changes. You know, the last couple of years had been
very few changes and not a wholelot to adjust to. This year,
certainly the fact that Connecticut went toa shock lock and these rule changes with
the with the uh the five foulsand you're shooting in double bonus. Yeah,

(10:13):
they had to attend clinics that areboth classroom type as well as implement
the practice on the floor, sothrough scrimmages. So this year required a
little bit more in preparation, uhfrom the officials groups than than the ordinarily
two or three modest rule changes thatwe've seen in the last four or five

(10:37):
years. So yeah, it's andand and that's why the scrimmage season is
so important, you know that true? Exactly they always say is the charge
block call still was the toughest onein basketball. I mean it it always
comes up. I mean because you'regoing to have them every game between is
it a charge? And we hadboth last night in in the game.

(11:01):
Well, what didn't we have lastnight in the game. But yeah,
we had a little bit of both. I thought I thought the officials called
them all correctly. In otherwise,I thought the charges were charges and the
blocks were blocks. But is itstill the toughest one to call from a
judgmental point, I believe so surefrom judgment because especially with it with the
speed and quick to the players today, that's where're having a three person crew.

(11:24):
A third official helps a great deal. Having that center official. You
get a real good look, especiallywhen these occur right in the paint area.
Well yeah, but I also thinkjust refereeing the defense is difficult at
times. I mean, players willgo for a block shot, you know,
if they're staying in there playing andthey're straight up, even if they're

(11:45):
moving a bit uh forwards backwards,you know, you're not gonna you don't
want to penalize good defense. SoI think that's a tough call too,
to see who initiated contacts on ashot, you know, and those are
difficult. You know, the gameof basketball, in my opinion, is
one of the more difficult sports toofficiate. It's quit it's quit base,

(12:11):
you know, that's quick snap judgments, and you have to really rely on
your partners that your partners are focusingin their primary or area of coverage because
at every given time, you know, you want to have officials eyes all
ten players. Yeah, exactly,No, I'm with you. And there
were three men on the game lastnight, and I'll be honest, they
needed three men. Probably gonna usefour men for all I know. Uh,

(12:31):
it was just so there was somuch going and really was so much
going on and all all it did, though sometimes it will take away,
like you said, from the flowof the game, you know what I
mean, Because it was two goodteams going at it last night at Hillous
High School. But I'm sure thingsyou know, and by the second half
wasn't maybe as many fun I'm lookingat my book. I have my book,

(12:56):
and there weren't enough of them.But okay, I'm just curious.
Uh. A lot of coaches willyell out, get their hands off my
player, get their hands off myright, get their hands off well you
you know, use your feet,get their hands off from John, or

(13:16):
get their hands off them bobs something. You know what I'm saying. And
they'll say yeah, but and Ihear this thing, advantage disadvantage. But
let's face it, when I playedbasketball and I learned to play their feet.
You can't use your hands to grabout as somebody. It's no good.
Yeah. Yeah, what you're talkingabout is that hand checking issue.

(13:37):
And basically a ball handler, youknow, even a player off ball,
have to get from point A topoint b, you know. And and
if you're obstructing that player from gettingfrom point A to point B by using
your hands, it's a file,you know, two hands on two hands
on a players automatic you know,one hand. I thought, I'm at

(14:00):
it. And and but if aplayer is again impeded with their progress to
get from point A to point B, there's what I advantage disadvantaged. Com
that's right, right, right,No, I understand, but that's a
tough thing. I mean, dosome officials, I mean, some may
call it more than others, correct, I mean, every official is different.

(14:20):
I mean I'm not saying they're supposedto, but I mean, you
know, they all see things differentways. And you know, I've seen
the veteran officials and I've seen theyounger officials, and you know there's certainly
once you've done a bunch of games, a lot of games, you know,
you'll see a veteran official come in. They know when to call this

(14:41):
or that, you know what Imean. And that's just by doing it,
by practicing that you know. Andthere have been there's some great officials
out there. Let's say face it, I think Haven board is one of
the best. But that's that's biasedmaybe on my part, but I've seen
other great officiating boards in all sports. I think they you know what they
know, they know the game,they have a feel for the game.

(15:03):
I think that's awesome. But youhave to have a feel for the game,
you know what I mean exactly.You're not You're not You're You're not
a rollbout out there. And Ithink when you're talking about feel for the
game, you're talking about you knowwhat type of game are reinvolved in here?
You know, when we talk aboutsome nights it's calls a little tighter
and others. It depends on thesituation of the game. And and if

(15:24):
players can handle a little a littlephysicality and it doesn't get out of control,
then you might see officials letting alittle bit more go to have a
good flow at the game. Butif, but if players are really,
really sloppy and things are getting toophysical and it's leading to some rough bowels.
Then you have to tighten the reinsa bit. So you know that

(15:46):
judgment could vary from game to game, depending on the flow of the game,
depending on how the players are playingthe game that particular night. So
I agree with all that is exactlyYou're right. I'm just saying I think
certain officials and when I coached stillwith my on it, we used to
tell them, really, the girlsbefore the game, we knew the two
officials, and sometimes you might say, you know, these two guys call

(16:06):
it a little bit closer, soyou know, we got play good defense.
Others are gonna let things go.I mean, I don't ever mentioned
officials because they're all I used totell the girls. Listen, in order
to get a foul call tonight,you got to be mugged. So don't
expect no, I mean, Isaid, but I said that lovingly,
meaning don't expect. Don't go outthere moaning that should have been don't do
that. This is how they're gonnacall the game. It depends that you

(16:32):
have to know your officials too,and you expect consistency. Like you said,
right, you said block before.If that's a block down one end
and it's the same scenario on theother, you expect a block that's correct,
that's correct. So you're looking forconsistency. And believe me, officials
talk about this in pregame conference.I'm sure they do. I'm sure they

(16:52):
do. And and and if younotice during a game, when there's a
time out and the game is in, especially a tight game and especially on
the wire, officials will get togetherand huddle correct and they're always talking about
They're always talking about what could potentiallyhappen here, what they have to do.
You know, what are you whatare they seeing out there? So
communication is so important, and communicationbetween amongst the officials on the floor during

(17:17):
those timeouts, they're not there.They're not talking about where they're going to
eat after, believe me, No, they're talking about they're talking about the
game and talking about what they needto do in the next sequence to play
well. Dan, uh wealth ofinformation there, it's great. Uh,
I'm so happy that you came ontoday and set us straight on some of
these things. You do a greatjob, great guy, And Uh,

(17:40):
I'm glad you gave us a fewmoments. Then I know I'll see you
along the road because show me awill hat. Rememberody told you yesterday,
I said it on the air,Oh your will hat. And I really
appreciate you folks do a great jobas well. And there's always pleasancy you
and Henry out there. And Iknow, I know, I know my
wife now is one of your biggets fans out there. So spend on

(18:02):
that Softball Hall of Fame committee together. Yeah, we roll on it together.
We have a lot of fun.We have a lot of fun with
anyway, Daddy, have a merryChristmas and I'll see you along the road.
You too, You and Henry MerryChristmas as well.