Big West, Pac-10 and West Coast Conference men's basketball officials recently attended a joint summer officiating training session aimed at improving the overall consistency and quality of officials.  The three-day event featured 32-year veteran NBA official Ed Rush, who is currently the recruiting and development specialist for the NBA, WNBA and NBA D-League.

The sessions covered topics such as mechanics, rules testing and play calling designed to improve accuracy in officiating.  Attendees received instruction in response and communication skills based on a wide variety of scenarios that involved video replay and various hypothetical examples.

Originally launched in 2005 by Pac-10 Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials Bill McCabe, the training session has grown to now include the Big West and West Coast conferences.  Sixty officials attended the event July 23-25 in Pleasanton, Calif.  The group includes a number of officials who work assignments between all three conferences.

"The depth at which the training takes place is unlike any other.  It adds consistency to the game," said McCabe, who also recently was hired as the Big West's coordinator of men's basketball officials.  "They're all being trained the same way and in the way the NCAA wants it done."

Added Rush:  "Every year I see more prepared officials and increased growth and buy in from the staff that is necessary to improve.  A lot of this is motivated because the officials really want to get better." 

John Adams, the NCAA National Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officiating, lauded the training session as an evaluation measuring stick for the rest of the country.

"Because of the training methods used by this officiating group, officiating is likely to improve at a quicker pace on the west coast than in any other part of the country," said Adams.