[Nate1224hoops]

Originally posted by ChuckElias

Breathe, Nate. Relax a little. It's too early in the morning for that level of frustration.

I would personally never use Dan's line "everybody's doing it", b/c the coach would probably have a retort that I wouldn't like. Having said that, there are plenty of things that we let go b/c they have no effect on the game.

Little guys with one foot in the lane for 4 seconds. Palming the ball while dribbling alone in the backcourt. Hand checking while the dribbler is not making any attempt to go to the basket.

Even as a self-proclaimed enforcer of the rules, I let these things go all the time. They're just not important. And if you're working a little kids game, then there's even more stuff that you're going to let go; otherwise your game will take 3 hours.

In kids and lower level games there are some things that you "let go", it is a must. But in upper level games??? Sure some incidental contact or hand checking that has no effect on the game. But my quetion is are you "letting anything go??" Those are not fouls/violations. Palming the ball in the backcourt, is a violation and in upper level games how are you going to respond to a coach who burns a TO and walks out (calmly) and says "sir he/she is palming the ball in the backcourt everytime, could you please watch for that??" Do you not think that if you blew the whistle one time on this kid who continually palms the ball in the backcourt that he/and his coach would take strides in correcting it? By not calling it were telling the kid it's okay to do it here but when you get here I have to call it.

You know that it is happening. You cant tell a coach that "oh it's in the backcourt and really having an effect on the game." WHY? Because its a violation. I think thats how some officials get a bad reputation. Coaches/AD's/Fans/Assigners see this as calling what you think is important and not calling what you see i.e. fouls and violations.