After some good feedback on last week's article, today I am going to present to you the second part of the same article written by Tom Hammill, a veteran and experienced referee, way back in 1995. As stated seven days ago, although over ten years have passed since then, there is no doubt that most of the ideas and observations put forward by Hammill are still more than valid today and even in the future.

In a nutshell, Hammill dedicates the article to the fine line that exists between using common sense and going too technical (sticking literally to the rules) during games.

In last week's article I had shown that Hammill tried hard to put forward the concept that one should try not to be a literal 'rule book' referee but should apply common sense as much as possible.

Here follows a continuation from Hammill's article: "I am a firm believer that a rule is a rule, whether we are officiating a junior high, high school, college or pro game" said Rick Wulkow, administrative assistant for the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Wulkow, 50, is also chairman of the National Federation Basketball Rules Committee and a major-college men's basketball referee. "The rules are there for a purpose," continued Wulkow, "but you cannot officiate by the rulebook. I think the intent of the rule is very important in administering the game. The officials who understand spirit and intent are the most successful because they know why the rule is there and how it is to be implemented."

Randy Chrystal, 47, is a Southwest Conference baseball umpire and football official from Austin, Texas. He said that mental flexibility is an official's ally. "I feel like you have to adjust to the game. Sometimes you may be involved in (what appears to be) dangerous play. But you hold your whistle or signal, 'play on' because in actuality, the bump, or whatever it is, caused no disadvantage whatsoever. By stopping play, you'd stop the flow of the game and would actually hurt the offended team."

Along similar lines, the flow of a game should not be interrupted by calling ticky-tack infractions, particularly if the game has proceeded smoothly and there are no menacing overtones; "the intent of the rule and, the enforcement of the rule have to meet what the game is doing," said Bill Lewis, 47, supervisor of officials for the Nebraska School Activities Association.

"I think we can be very, very good textbook officials and not always be good on the field or the court. You have to be able to make the rules work in the situation you have."

Lewis related a basketball analogy. "The rules say we do not allow contact, but we all know better than that. Basketball has become a game of contact, but you have to know when the contact affects the play, for example, while rebounding. Hand checking has also been a hot item. When it affects where the ball is going, (a foul) must be called. But sometimes there is going to be hands placed on people away from the ball. That sort of thing we are not going to call because it would interrupt the flow."

The key is, according to Lewis, "you have got to adjust and understand what is going on, inside the court. The rulebook does not always tell you that. The rulebook tells you what's illegal, but you have to understand where and when to apply it."

Don Robinson has the same philosophy as Lewis. Robinson, 57 and the associate executive director of Illinois High School Association, cited basketball's three-second rule to illustrate how he feels. "The intent of the rule is to keep the big people from hanging out at the, basket," said Robinson. "When the ball is out there at the 10-second, line, that's not what the (three-second) rule is for. While literally the rule says you cannot be in there, nobody worries about it when the ball's at mid-court."

Often there's a fine line between legal and illegal acts. Dave Carlsrud offered an example of where to draw that line: "In. basketball, we talk to players on borderline issues that are not going to put someone at a disadvantage not intended by rule. But, if a player deliberately gives an opponent one of these shots," he said, jabbing his elbow backward, "we're not going to warn on that because it's something that will engender ill will. If I taunt, you're not going to warn me; you're going to T me up.

That's what we need to keep an orderly flow to the game!"

Jon Bible, national coordinator of the NCAA National Umpire Improvement Program, said that some officials "can get so immersed in the rules that they lose sight of what's going on." Bible, 45, from Austin, Texas, then pointed out an inherent difficulty: "You have to have a healthy base before you know how to talk in terms of spirit of the rules."

Newer officials seldom have healthy bases, in large part due to their limited experience. That gives them few alternatives when times are tough. To give those new referees more options, veterans must help educate their younger comrades.

This article will be extended further in the coming weeks.