[BillyMac]

Jurassic Referee:

On June 14, 2006, you posted on this Forum thread the following statement: “Advantage/disadvantage was never meant to apply to violations”. It was at this point that I decided to join the thread. Since then I have posted a handout given to me about the Tower Philosophy, unfortunately I can’t find the source of the handout, you have posted an article from a reliable source about the Tower Philosophy, and I have posted some statements from the NFHS Rule Book about the spirit and intent of the rules and advantage and disadvantage. Discounting my first handout, because I cannot name the source, two of these three references in no way state that the Tower Philosophy, advantage disadvantage, or the spirit and intent of the rules pertain only to “physical contact” (fouls). To paraphrase your own statement, since you made the statement first, “it's up to you to back” it up.

From you username, Jurassic Referee, and from you many threads and posts on this Forum, I can guess that you are a very experienced official. Your threads and posts show a great understanding of basketball officiating, and your rule citations show that much of what you post can be backed up by the rules. I look forward to your threads and posts because I can always learn something from them. For example, in this thread, I fully agree with you that new officials should not be exposed to the Tower Philosophy, the spirit and intent of the rules, and advantage disadvantage, until they completely understand the rule book, case book, mechanics manual, and have gained some experience on the floor in real games.

I am also an experienced official, maybe not as experienced as you are, but never the less, I have officiated many games. I am a twenty-five year member of IAABO Central Connecticut Board # 6, twenty years as a varsity official. I have not officiated any state tournament games, but I have officiated several conference tournament finals and semifinals. Due to family responsibilities, I never thought about moving up to college officiating.

I have attended several camps and have been taught by many great officials. For most of my twenty-five years, my board interpreter was John McDonnell, one of the top officials in the Connecticut. He has been our state interpreter and served as the education chairman for the international organization. He was a Division I college official and now serves as an observer of officials for the Arizona athletic organization. Our present interpreter is Pete Palermino, another great high school and Division I college official. Our board members have been taught to officiate games using the Tower Philosophy and the principle of advantage disadvantage. We have been taught to officiate, not literally by the rulebook, but by the spirit and intent of the rules, all rules, both violations and fouls.

All I am doing is to respectfully ask that you “back” up your statement “advantage/disadvantage was never meant to apply to violations” and that the Tower Philosophy, advantage disadvantage, or the spirit and intent of the rules pertain only to “physical contact” (fouls). In many of your previous threads and posts, you very often list many rule citations to back up your statements, that I agree with 99% of the time. Please do the same for this topic, the 1% of the time that I diagree with you.