Not very often , with that being said, I voted yes because of the picture above, I was there, Coach Flynn has a giant size pictured framed of the famous no call for ninth region folks, especially Holmes fans, but for the most part I think they do a great job and I think we are very lucky in the ninth to have some of the best officials in the state, I have did highschool baseball and then fast pitch for years, I know I have missed a call or two, but we are human and make mistakes, I always say we are there for the close calls, one side thinks safe, the other out, someone has to make a decision, it takes a lot of dedication and time away from home to be an official.

I should have been more specific in starting the thread. Yes, there has been a bad call in a game that has cost a team. Yes, the officials obviously missed the goaltending call in the Holmes game. That isn't the only time that happened in a game. That isn't what I am asking. Forget about the one big call issue.

 

We hear all the time on BGP and elsewhere about teams getting homered, about the officials were horrible the whole game, the officials called it too tight, the officials let too much go, etc. I believe all those situations I just listed are excuses and don't cause a team to win or lose. I am on the same page with PP92 above, except I do think coaches have impact like the players do. At the end of the day, games are won and lost on the court by the players, not officials.

Not very often , with that being said, I voted yes because of the picture above, I was there, Coach Flynn has a giant size pictured framed of the famous no call for ninth region folks, especially Holmes fans, but for the most part I think they do a great job and I think we are very lucky in the ninth to have some of the best officials in the state, I have did highschool baseball and then fast pitch for years, I know I have missed a call or two, but we are human and make mistakes, I always say we are there for the close calls, one side thinks safe, the other out, someone has to make a decision, it takes a lot of dedication and time away from home to be an official.

 

Right. When people volunteer their time to be away from home that is a noble thing. But last I checked officiating isn't a volunteer activity. It is something that people are PAID to do. Some might argue the pay is not enough. Perhaps, but these officials are not drafted or forced to make that "sacrifice."

 

Officials absolutely affect outcomes. Anyone who says otherwise is delusional or just trying to say the "right thing." In an ideal situation, players and coaches should determine the outcome with officials serving to ensure everyone plays "by the rules." Players are held accountable for performance by coaches with the ever-present threat of the bench. Coaches are also held accountable as if they don't win, their very livelihood is on the line.

 

Accountability for officials? Well, they get rated by the coaches each year. And if they happend to be rated 50/50 this year, then they get............to be 50/50 again next year and the next and the next. Just keep collecting that paycheck week after week, year after year, just like every other job in the private sector. Oh wait. Actually, I can't think of another job where poor performance allows one to stay gainfully employed. Maybe some varsity officials should become JV officials again, or not officals at all.

 

This isn't simply sour grapes. There are some very good officials that both take it seriously and have the talent and skill set to be a quality official. Problem is there just aren't that many of them anymore. I've played, coached and watched basketball for many years. I've never been as disappointed with the overall lack of quality officiating as I have seen the last couple of years.

Sometimes it doesn't happen at all.

 

It doesn't happen for entire games, but sometimes just enough to be effective.

 

Rarely does it happen for an entire game because the ref doing it knows that that would be too obvious.

 

Sometimes it's triggered by a ref not liking a coach's comments.

 

Sometimes a ref will unintentionally let their own biases or tempers effect them.

 

But no doubt, IT DOES HAPPEN, and when it's obvious, it's ugly.

 

I have no doubt seen some games ruined by a series of smothering slanted calls that are obviously meant to destroy a team's momentum or chances. It might not happen the entire game, but just enough to do proper damage.

This is why you are permitted to scratch officials at the beginning of the season. I've seen many officials do games when they obviously have a problem with a kid or a school. Actually over heard a highly ranked official say he couldn't stand a certain school! It happens, they are human.

Not basketball but can anyone say state fast pitch tournament this past year?? Those officials missed a huge call. Did anything happen to those officials?

Of course they have won and lost games........they are human.

This is the last 40 secs of Madison Central's 78-77 win over Trinity on Jan 21, 2012, in the Joe B. Hall Classic. The vid's in a narrow vertical box but you can see enough of the action to wonder about the refereeing that many say cost Trinity the game, their only KY defeat that season.

I'm with PP and VOR on this one. Yes, there have been any number of blown calls at the end of games.

 

But the old school in me says you should have made another play or two along the way so you wouldn't be in a position to lose.

This is the last 40 secs of Madison Central's 78-77 win over Trinity on Jan 21, 2012, in the Joe B. Hall Classic. The vid's in a narrow vertical box but you can see enough of the action to wonder about the refereeing that many say cost Trinity the game, their only KY defeat that season.

 

Got hosed twice IMO. I would not have had a foul on the missed FT with 5 seconds left nor a foul on the pass.

Officiating is a part of the game, just as much as shooting & defense are. A poor shooting night or a lackluster defensive performance can cost a team a game.

 

Yes, they can win or lose a game.

Officials may not win or lose a game but they sure can influence the outcome of the game.

Officials can influence a game, but I would very rarely say they won or lost it for me. The only circumstance I can think of that officials won or lost it was is homecooking was going on. But honestly, I've only experienced that once or twice in my lifetime. I have also experienced a local team not getting the calls against us because the officials didn't like the homer coach! So it can work both ways. But rarely do I ever feel homered.

 

As for all the last minute calls that people feel "cost you the game or championship"...let me ask you this. I understand that particular bad call came at an inopportune time, but were there any calls during the game that went your way?...at anytime during the game? Did your team have no turnovers? Did they execute. Did they play their best defense on every play? Did they make all their free throws? Did they miss a layup? Did they mis-communicate ever on defense, giving up and easy bucket. In bball, when you lose at the last second or by 2-4 points, it's easy to blame the ref for a bad call near the end. But chances are, you had plenty of opportunities during the course of the game to make that call a non-factor. If the goal tending no call is made on the first possession of the game, is it still an issue to this day? Bet it's not. And I would bet at least one call went their way during the course of the game. Is it a bad call...yes! Did it come at a horrible time...yes! But did it cost them the state championship...doubt it.

As for the softball example...We just happen to play next and were warming up behind that very outfield fence. Where my girls were warming up, we could have caught the ball. But again, JC did not have a hit until that point...2 outs in the bottom of the 7th. So did the ump cost them that game? Or should they have hit better in the 1-6th innings???

 

It was a very unfortunate event and we felt HORRIBLE for the young lady who hit the ball. We tried to get involved because we were right there, but they weren't having any of that...which I don't blame them. But again, a horrible call at a horrible time...but could have been a non -factor if they would have hit at all during the other 20 outs.

As for the softball example...We just happen to play next and were warming up behind that very outfield fence. Where my girls were warming up, we could have caught the ball. But again, JC did not have a hit until that point...2 outs in the bottom of the 7th. So did the ump cost them that game? Or should they have hit better in the 1-6th innings???

 

It was a very unfortunate event and we felt HORRIBLE for the young lady who hit the ball. We tried to get involved because we were right there, but they weren't having any of that...which I don't blame them. But again, a horrible call at a horrible time...but could have been a non -factor if they would have hit at all during the other 20 outs.

 

Saw how you worked this in….classic:ylsuper: