Quote:
Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
1) Some evaluator's think that it is the sign of a good official not to make a 3-second call unless the player in the lane is gaining an advantage. I agree with them, not IAABO.
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Although you should always go by what your evaluator says, I can't think of too many situations where the offensive player being in the lane for longer than 3 seconds doesn't in and of itself convey an advantage to the offense. It forces the defense to cover the post for a longer period of time than should be necessary, and forces defensive rebounders to box out for a longer period of time than they should have to. Just because the player who is offending doesn't score or rebound doesn't mean that the offense hasn't gained an advantage.
The only time that 3-second violations have no effect that I can think of is where the player is oblivious to being in the lane, or is stepping one foot out and in, even though the rules forbid this.
BTW, I'm not saying to go out of your way to look for petty violations, but if you see them, call them. That's what the whistle is for.
As I said, by all means follow the lead of the evaluator, since that's who is responsible for the assignments.