[Jimgolf]

Originally Posted by Corndog89

I just started reading this thread tonight and don't really have anything relevant to add to the fight discussion. But this being an officials' forum, after watching and pausing the extended video several times, I do have some comments on the officiating, which curiously, has been mostly ignored.

1. The lead official on the rebound end of the play seems awfully nonchalant. He appears to be looking directly at the elbow swing which doesn't appear to make much contact (if any) and may or may not be an out-of-control elbow swinging violation (again, hard to tell). But the rebounder does appear to double dribble. He definitely dribbles twice. He secures the ball, puts it on the floor, and though it may have been knocked out of his hand by the eventual KO kid (can't tell from the video) he certainly bounces twice in control...looks like a dribble to me. He then again holds the ball, throws the elbows, and then dribbles again before passing off. Looked like a double dribble to me. The official looked unwilling to call anything, which suggests to me (please note the language, "suggests") there had not been a building chain-of-events that led to the eventual fight. In a rec-league game I probably wouldn't have called anything at that point either if the game had been in control. If there had been tempers building I would have called either the elbows or the DD and to quote Barney Fife, "Nip it in the bud".

2. From the video, the new lead official at the fight end of the floor appears to be looking at the push and the KO punch and then looks toward the shot. Even with the one kid on the floor with the other one wailing away, that official appears very hesitant to do anything. He very tentatively and very slowly walks toward the melee, and his partner takes forever to re-appear in the video from the far end of the court. I'm sure most if not all of us have been involved in games as an official when a fight or near-fight breaks out. My first move every single time has been to race to the fight and attempt to break it up...even as a rugby referee, where fights were much more common, I did that. If effective game management and/or pro-active officiating doesn't prevent a fight...and it doesn't always...as the official I feel responsible to take immediate actions to stop it.

3. Finally, this video demonstrates why we as officials have to take every game we call seriously and not just be there for the pay. If you don't want these games, and I respect guys like JRut who no longer take rec games for just this reason, then don't take them. But if you take them, then by-God officiate them properly.

This fight may have been precipitated by the lack of foul calls on the previous contact. Had any one of the elbows, jostles or shoves been called, there may have been no fight.

For this reason, the officials involved may also be named as defendants in the civil lawsuit. Presumably the insurance will cover the damages, as the medical costs were not that extensive. I just wonder why no one has considered this aspect.