I have seen 3 girls games and 3 boys games so far this season and in all six games, the refs would barely blow the whistle. This frustrates me because the game gets entirely too physical and I really fear that someone is going to get seriously hurt. Does anyone else agree with me and if so, who do I need to complain to about this. There is a big difference in "letting them play" and allowing players to beat each other up. Not only that, tempers flare and the game gets out of control. I saw evidence of this very thing tonight!

First, welcome to the site. You should contact the KHSAA. Here's a link to their website.

 

www.khsaa.org

Organized brawls. Its not basketball:fight:

I love opportunities to get back into the swing of things. Being an ex-official, there is one key element to basketball and it seems refs are the only ones who know this. "Physical" basketball is good. We used that term to describe good defense that is legal and offenses that can set good screens that the "D" runs into (and yes it looks kind of hard sometimes).

 

I can understand from the stands things look very different. Fans are under the impression that all the officials are looking at is the person with the ball and the person guarding them. This is far from the case (at least if you have a crew that knows what they are doing)! Just because someone falls down after geting a shot blocked dosen't mean that he/she was fouled. Many times the momentum of a shooter causes them to be slightly off balance and then the shot gets blocked, causing them to go to the floor. Sometimes he/she is just plain clumsey and falls down on his/her own.

 

Great officials can tell the difference between "physical" play and "rough" play. If you watch games that have many fouls called early in the post and on the ball-handler, you can bet you have a crew that knows the difference between those two types of games. If you have a crew that calls nothing but fouls on shots and around the ball, watch out! That is the game that will get too "rough".

 

Watch a few games and see if you agree!

 

:fire:

I appreciate the explaination Ghost but I have a couple of questions. 1. When a ball handler makes a hard cut and gets the defender on her shoulder can the defender put their hands on the ballhandler to slow them down? It seems to me that this gives the defender an advantage. It happens a lot without a call.

2. When on the free throw line if the team shooting the free throw comes over the back on the rebound is this a player control foul. I saw this in a game this week and the ref ruled it player control and didn't allow the defender to shoot free throws even though they were in the bonus.

No win situation for the refs. Call less fouls and the teams are getting too physical. Call more fouls and you're not letting the kids play. Show up to officiate and you're the reason why the team lost.

I can remember that 15 - 20 years ago a lot of "fans / parents / boosters" complained that the NKY refs would call the game too close. When it came time for the sweet 16 NKY teams could't adjust to the more physical play that is played in the rest of the state. I personally think that is true, I welcome more physical play. Nobody wants to watch a free throw contest. Also, I don't think that the refs shoud control the tempers, that is up to the coach.

Not a foul till the referee blows the whistle.:thumb:

I appreciate the explaination Ghost but I have a couple of questions. 1. When a ball handler makes a hard cut and gets the defender on her shoulder can the defender put their hands on the ballhandler to slow them down? It seems to me that this gives the defender an advantage. It happens a lot without a call.

2. When on the free throw line if the team shooting the free throw comes over the back on the rebound is this a player control foul. I saw this in a game this week and the ref ruled it player control and didn't allow the defender to shoot free throws even though they were in the bonus.

 

 

Not trying to jump the gun on Ghost but IMO a good official will hold his/her whistle for a sec on the first play you described. If the ballhandler can make the move around and score then play on......if the defender truly hinders their progress and prevents the open score then you probably should have a whistle.

 

On your second question I think maybe both you and the official mentioned are a bit confused on a TEAM control foul. Dont mistake this for a PLAYER control foul. When a player commits a foul while his TEAM is in control of the ball the defensive team is awarded a throw in but NO SHOTS. It is important to keep in mind there is NO TEAM CONTROL during a jump ball, a throw in or on a try for goal. In your example it sounds like there would not have been team control (ball loose after free throw shot) so any foul commited should have been awarded shots if in the bonus situation.

I appreciate the explaination Ghost but I have a couple of questions. 1. When a ball handler makes a hard cut and gets the defender on her shoulder can the defender put their hands on the ballhandler to slow them down? It seems to me that this gives the defender an advantage. It happens a lot without a call.

2. When on the free throw line if the team shooting the free throw comes over the back on the rebound is this a player control foul. I saw this in a game this week and the ref ruled it player control and didn't allow the defender to shoot free throws even though they were in the bonus.

 

1) That should be called. Two hands on the dribbler is a call that HAS to be made early. Also the "handcheck/armbar" has become popular. That has to be called early and often as well. Good crews will call this and bad fans (and radio commentators) call it "ticky-tac", but who cares about fans and commentators? :thumb:

 

2) Sounds like the ref needs to get into his/her rule book. No team control on a rebound therefore you shoot if the team is in the bonus. But also remember; there is no call as "over the back". Plenty of times I heard that yelled when a more athletic player jumped higher and took a rebound away from a less athletic (or lazy) player. Displacement of a defender (or other contact that puts the player in position at a disadvantage) in position must take place for a rebound foul to be made (IMO)!

 

I think I need to get back on the court and ref again! Seems there are places I could work and get to the tourney!

 

:laugh:

No win situation for the refs. Call less fouls and the teams are getting too physical. Call more fouls and you're not letting the kids play. Show up to officiate and you're the reason why the team lost.

 

That's why officials should call the same way every night in every game they do. If they do that, most are at peace with themselves and that is all that matters! Sometimes you had 20 fouls and sometimes 60. It all depends on the game itself, but if an officials will stick to the guidelines and call games the same way, then the players decide and we fade away, like the old striped shirts we are!

 

:laugh:

Thanks Ghost and stripedshirt. On the rebound foul maybe the ref determined that the rebounder had control of the ball before the foul.