Jeff, great insight as to the fact that the NBA has different mechanics and rules than what we are used to. They are the best in the world. I have spoken to some NBA refs, and it seems that the calling official usually goes table side when calling a foul. This was done so that they could deal with the coaches. The thing that I notice is that sometimes they may deviate from the mechanics or positioning to deal with a situation. I think too many officials get so worried about were they should be standing that they forget to officiate the game. Is is wrong for an official to go table side in an NF or NCAA game to address a situation with a coach? I don't think so. It is all part of game management. Sometimes the coach has an honest question that needs to be answered. I think that sometimes it is OK to deviate from the system...as long as we know where we are deviating from.
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