What I thought was interesting was the offensive schemes were largely set up to create isolation plays (either from the top or at x)
This allowed both the ball carrier and defender to showcase their skill/athleticism. The better players after beating their initial man usually made the right choice whether to shoot or pass based on what they saw. The athletic but low lax IQ players usually beat the 1st defender, but then turned the ball over with a poorly thought out shot or ill timed passed.
This play calling setup a lot of opportunity for evaluation. The coaches I am sure wanted to win, but stuck to the prescribed game plan
Officials kept their flags in their pockets unless an egregious fouls occurred - this helped maximize playtime
Although I am sure it was unintentional, the teams were not all evenly matched. The officials helped out in this case too. In one particular game my boys’ team held the ball most of the game. During the last ten minutes it seemed that every time we caused a turnover a hold was called. Normally I would complain, but this allowed for more reps for our defenders and for the other team’s attack.
It was also very strange to see the parents so quiet on the sidelines, my first experience at an individual showcase and it was great to see the dads hold themselves in check and not ruining things for their sons.
