[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Agree with JRutledge. Time and score are always important, especially in the later part of a game. We always need to know who is ahead and who is behind. Teams behind want the clock to stop. Teams ahead want the clock to run.

From my pregame:

Near the end of the game, give the defense a chance to steal the ball before a quick whistle. When a team, ahead late in the game, wants to play "keep away" and doesn't want to shoot free throws, to call a "touch" foul (that we would not have called earlier in the game) would give an advantage to the team behind. On the other hand, when a team, ahead late in the game, wants to shoot free throws, call foul immediately when contact occurs so the ball handler doesn't get hit harder to draw a whistle. Let’s make sure there is a play on the ball by the defense. If there’s no play on the ball, if the defense grabs the jersey, pushes from behind, or bear hugs the offensive player, we should consider an intentional foul.

The hardest part for me is figuring out what the offensive team (ahead late in the game) wants to do. Some want to shoot free throws (probably good free throw shooting teams), and others don't want the clock to stop (they want to play keep away). It's easy after the first foul in the "chess game" is charged, and one knows what the offensive team wants to do, but I hate being surprised on the first move.