[theboys]

I tread pretty lightly on this site because I know I'm not as rule savvy as most of you, and I know this site isn't really for non-refs, but for those of you who wonder why you don't get more respect, you need to look at the other side of the a/d argument, from a coach's or fan's perspective. Because a/d does have a dark side.

I've been a part of games where "incidental" contact escalates until, basically, the game gets out of control. Incidental contact becomes hard fouls, and by the time the officials start calling fouls, frustration and anger have reached a boiling point. I'm not whining about my team - we've been on the offending side as much as we've been on the offended side.

And, you're right, not all contact is a foul, but if you're not going to be consistent with your calls, or you're not going to establish ahead of time a line beyond which everything is a foul, you set yourself up for failure. If someone slaps a passer on the arm, it shouldn't matter whether the pass was successful or not in your decision to call a foul.

As for the three second call, I think not making the call is a cop-out. If you call it a couple of times, players will wise up. Or, they'll be taken out of the game.

If a player bringing in the ball uncontested picks it up, and just walks with it under his arm to half court, where the defense is waiting in a passive zone, do you call the travel? The ball handler isn't gaining an advantage. But, its a violation, so you call it. Three seconds in the lane is a violation - call it.