🏀 Let’s be more charitable in our evaluation of referees.

[CmnRef]

Referees are well paid and routinely evaluated. If a pattern of bias or ineptitude is discerned they will not keep their job. What they are called to do is make quick decisive decisions on bang bang plays. There will always be a lot of mistakes. I am a season ticket holder. I seldom miss a game and sit 12 rows from the floor. I will see an incident reach a conclusion on what happened, look up at replay and see I was completely wrong. It happens all the time and I am not running up and down the floor. I am certainly not above yelling helpful advice to the refs, but most of it is in the call it both ways category. The only problem with that is that that same play at the other end will be the call of a different ref. Bottom line relax when you can and enjoy the ride from here. Enjoy this special team be positive.

 

[TerryP]

I'm with you. Basketball, at its pace, is becoming increasing difficult to call.

With the assigned areas that these guys are supposed to watch I do have a hard time with calls at times. Questionable, sometimes less than that, called from someone assigned to the sideline but it's underneath..."mind your lane."

 

[CmnRef]

I'm with you. Basketball, at its pace, is becoming increasing difficult to call.

With the assigned areas that these guys are supposed to watch I do have a hard time with calls at times. Questionable, sometimes less than that, called from someone assigned to the sideline but it's underneath..."mind your lane."

That comes from seeing something out of the corner of your eye and then not hearing a whistle from another ref. If you believe you saw infraction should call it. I have problem with refs letting them play early and tightening up later. Should be reversed order. Let them know your rules, be consistent and try to be invisible.

 

[TerryP]

That comes from seeing something out of the corner of your eye and then not hearing a whistle from another ref. If you believe you saw infraction should call it.

I do understand. I see it too often in cases that don't read that way to me.

You read over that write up about Kansas and WVU? I didn't watch it...but I'm of the opinion if ol' Huggie is complaining there's something there.

 

[CmnRef]

I do understand. I see it too often in cases that don't read that way to me.

You read over that write up about Kansas and WVU? I didn't watch it...but I'm of the opinion if ol' Huggie is complaining there's something there.

Did not see game but statistics look way out of line

 

[TerryP]

Did not see game but statistics look way out of line

It's an anomaly, but indicative of the trend we see with home games and the foul ratio.

Recently I read a quote from one of the head coaches and he said there were roughly 30-35 good refs calling games. I thought the number might be low--one voiced more out of frustration than reality, ya know? He brings up a point. There were around thirty D1 games played last night. There's 100 refs. That would equate to 10-12 games getting what he considered "good refs" and the others left out in the cold.

I think we can agree on this. There is a talent difference between each and every guy calling games.

 

[CmnRef]

The other main concern with referees is that they are not always scheduled to call games in the same grouping. That leads to lack of communication and inconsistencies in calls. The old rule of thumb should apply that it is up to the players to recognize how the game is being called and adapt to it. In today’s world not so easy when refs not communicating well and no consistency from one to the other in same group.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

No....no...no...
How come most games on neutral court is fine....
But when they get to a "home" court?.....they play to to the crowd....
Human nature ...
Ok...probably..
Or when they have an agenda....see
LA Tech n North Tx a few weeks ago...
. but round ball sux til its tourney ment time...because of officiating

 

[UAgrad93]

My dad officiated HS basketball for 42 years, starting with the old 2 man crew and finishing up with the current 3 man crews. He will be the first to admit that mistakes are made and that tempo makes it more difficult. He will also tell you that you may often get 1 man having to "carry his partner or partners" because they SUCK!!!
I agree that you call it tight in the beginning and then back off, NEVER the opposite and Dad would agree as well. It is A LOT like being a teacher. You establish your rules early and put your thumb down, only to back off toward the end if needed.

 

[CmnRef]

I have to disagree. I am a Bama graduate so, I love football but basketball is my passion. You are correct that home court fans can have an influence on officiating. As can football fans, baseball fans, softball soccer. Officials are human and can and will be affected. But I do not believe they have agendas in college and pros. They are paid well and constantly monitored any trends could be detected and dealt with. Officiating is hard to do well all that should be expected is some degree of consistency, not that we always get even that.

 

[CmnRef]

My dad officiated HS basketball for 42 years, starting with the old 2 man crew and finishing up with the current 3 man crews. He will be the first to admit that mistakes are made and that tempo makes it more difficult. He will also tell you that you may often get 1 man having to "carry his partner or partners" because they SUCK!!!
I agree that you call it tight in the beginning and then back off, NEVER the opposite and Dad would agree as well. It is A LOT like being a teacher. You establish your rules early and put your thumb down, only to back off toward the end if needed.

Sorry I missed your post and my earlier reply was not aimed at you. My father was a captain of the team in the thirties and refereed some in SEC before World War 2. We appear to have similar legacies

 

[BamaFan334]

I have to disagree. I am a Bama graduate so, I love football but basketball is my passion. You are correct that home court fans can have an influence on officiating. As can football fans, baseball fans, softball soccer. Officials are human and can and will be affected. But I do not believe they have agendas in college and pros. They are paid well and constantly monitored any trends could be detected and dealt with. Officiating is hard to do well all that should be expected is some degree of consistency, not that we always get even that.

I happen to agree with you that these guys are under such review and a fine toothed comb, that egregious calls and anything consistently bad will get these guys fired. They are paid a lot of money to do their job, so I am highly skeptical that these guys are giving home cooking and producing an agenda that could sabotage their families and future earning potential. I read an article a few years back about the procedures the NFL goes through in efforts of picking out their Super Bowl refs. That's the goal of these Sunday refs, to officiate a Super Bowl, and they go through a ton more than loud mouthed fans like to think. I have never been one to yell at the refs, except when I was on the court or field of play as an athlete. I think the last time I yelled at an officiated call was back when Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was flagged for helmet to helmet contact at Texas A&M when in fact he actually touched the ball before the receiver. The helmet to helmet was called off, but this was when the penalty still stood. It was just a bad call, but that was the last time I jumped a refs case from my TV. Like you said, they are human beings. I understand that and give them some compassion because a lot of people simply look for someone to blame and these guys are it simply because people have rewind on their tv's and have 20/20 vision after the fact and aren't in the fox hole with these refs. They do a pretty dang good job most of the time, but are never recognized for that. Guess they feel like offensive linemen, never get the clout, only the backlash.

 

[UAgrad93]

Sorry I missed your post and my earlier reply was not aimed at you. My father was a captain of the team in the thirties and refereed some in SEC before World War 2. We appear to have similar legacies

I didn't take any of your comments like that. I was just commenting that officiating is difficult and that for the most part, they try their best to get it right. BUT, there are some out there just getting a check and being dead weight.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

No doubt there r some well intention refs......
But u just gotta watch...to see the bias that creeps in....
I played and i am a fan.... but when u go on the road...in the sec....
Good chance you will get hosed...
And. Mid majors are even worse...

 

[TUSKtimes]

As an avid NBA fan, it hasn't been a good year for the pro refs either. Silver has been the main cheerleader for referee change during his short tenure as commissioner and the quality of the product has dropped dramatically. This year you could see hostility and general lack of respect going to a new low. Not sure what the criteria for qualifying for a pro job is but a lot of the guys look like they were recruited out of World/Gold's gym. One ref feeling the need to head-butt one of the players to make his point. The players are so demonstrative after every call and ego and poor sportsmanship has made it impossible to get either ref or player under control. The NBA went to a youth and minority movement with their refs all at once and the result is chaos and incompetence. What else could you expect?

 

[BamaFan334]

As an avid NBA fan, it hasn't been a good year for the pro refs either. Silver has been the main cheerleader for referee change during his short tenure as commissioner and the quality of the product has dropped dramatically. This year you could see hostility and general lack of respect going to a new low. Not sure what the criteria for qualifying for a pro job is but a lot of the guys look like they were recruited out of World/Gold's gym. One ref feeling the need to head-butt one of the players to make his point. The players are so demonstrative after every call and ego and poor sportsmanship has made it impossible to get either ref or player under control. The NBA went to a youth and minority movement with their refs all at once and the result is chaos and incompetence. What else could you expect?

You said it in your post, it's LeBron James that starts and causes a lot of this. The guy bitches about ev-er-y-thing. I don't watch the NBA often at all because there are too many premodonnas that feel they are owed something, all while not showing an ounce if respect towards anyone else. The NBA will fall like the NFL. A slight increase in viewerahip will go by the wayside if these antics between players and refs continue

 

[TerryP]

 

[CmnRef]

There is a solution but apparently nobody is willing to make the effort. Back in the 1940-41 season my father was an SEC referee. He had just graduated from Alabama. When he arrived in Starkville for a Miss. vs Miss, St. game the other referee did not make it. He was asked to work alone and he agreed. He called the players and coaches together and told them he was going to call everything he saw and that he could not call what he did not see. Anyone who disagreed with him was going to the showers. He said it was the easiest game he ever called. That is the solution. See a foul call it. Let the rule makers change the rules not the enforcers,referees.