Quote:
Originally posted by drinkeii
Besides... in Basketball, advantage/disadvantage is listed in the rules as a consideration. In soccer, it is actually part of the rules and required to be considered. In basketball, there is no clear statement in there that you should ignore a foul which does not generate a disadvantage. It does explain that somewhat - but nothing like soccer, where the rules say you must pass on calling a foul where there is an advantage to allow the fouled player to keep playing.
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If you are looking for a book of unassailable "Thou shalt not..."s, engraved in stone from an infallible rulegiver on high, you fundamentally misunderstand the basketball rule book. So let's start at the beginning, and please pay particular attention to how advantage/disadvantage are woven through the entire fabric of the rules.
THE INTENT AND PURPOSE OF THE RULES
The restrictions which the rules place upon the players are intended to create a balance of play; to provide equal opportunity between the offense and the defense; to provide equal opportunity between the small player and tall player; to provide reasonable safety and protection; to create an atmosphere of sporting behavior and fair play; and to emphasize cleverness and skill without unduly limiting freedom of action of individual or team play on either offense or defense.
Therefore, it is important to know the intent and purpose of a rule so that it may be intelligently applied in each play situation. A player or a team should not be permitted an advantage which is not intended by a rule. Neither should play be permitted to develop which may lead to placing a player at a disadvantage not intended by a rule.
THE GAME - Basketball is played by two teams of five players each. The purpose of each team is to throw the ball into its own basket and to prevent the other team from scoring. The ball may be thrown, batted, rolled or dribbled in any direction, subject to restrictions laid down in the following rules.
That is the lens through which officials must read and interpret the rules. Note that we are not told to mindlessly apply every rule as written no matter what. We are expected to employ intelligence and judgement in applying them. We are to consider not just the lifeless text of the rule, but it's intent and purpose. And we are to judge each situation individually.
What constitutes a "balance of play" and whether a particular contact hinders an opponent are very subjective judgements. They will change from level to level, and even from game to game within the same level. That is why a sound grasp and feel for the flow of the game is vital. At its most fundamental, the official's job is apply the minimum amount of interference to keep the players in check and ensure that a basketball game happens.
Few things make me crankier than the clueless player, coach or fan who spends all game hollering about 3 seconds. Their fundamental view of the game is not that they should go out and leave it all on the floor in a competition between two teams. They want the officials to scrutinize every detail of their opponent's behavior, searching for reasons to take the ball from them. To them it's not about proving that one team is more skilled or athletic or talented or conditioned or courageous than another, it's just a cowardly, lawyer-like contest of trying to deny the other team the opportunity to play their game by pouncing on every potential transgression. It's not an attitude of "I believe I can do this better than you" it's just a continual barrage of "hey, you can't do that!" It's more like petty sibbling rivalry than a sporting competition.