[M&M Guy]

May I throw in my 2 cents for whatever it's worth? (2 cents here, 2 cents there, pretty soon you're talking about real money!)

I think knowledge of the foul count is an important game-management tool. But how you use that tool is just as important. It's no different than putting me in an operating room, with all the same tools as the surgeon, and saying I'm going to end up with the same results. It ain't happenin', even if I do stay at a Holiday Inn Express. To say that we need to even up the fouls because one team has more is a totally inappropriate use of that tool. But, knowledge of the foul count can help. What if the foul count is 10-2, and both teams are playing a similar style? That tells me we as a crew need to know why. Are we missing something? Are my partners calling something that I'm not? Maybe I'm the one that needs to get my head back in the game. Of course, if the fouls are 6-5, I want to know that I'm going to watch for shooters if my partner calls another foul. I need to know if we're shooting 1-and-1, or 2 shots. And, of course, a controversial aspect is the following: A1 goes up for a shot, and is sandwiched by B1 and B2, who foul at basically the same time. If I know B2 has 4 fouls, and B1 has 1, all other things being equal, I might give the foul to B1. Key words: "all other things being equal". Am I favoring a player? Some people say yes. Other people say it's good game management to make sure the 5th foul is obvious. If your supervisor or assignor tells you it's accepted practice to never call the double foul when B1 and B2 foul at the same time, then it's probably best not to make that call, even if you don't like that interpretation.

Having the tools is one thing; how you use them is another.