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Originally posted by Oz Referee
Your partner is WRONG. There is no way to couch this comments, he is just WRONG. Referees should never "make-up" calls, and I wonder how much this ref can be concentrating on the game, if he is keeping track of fouls as well.
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Absolutely agree without any reservation. This policy is inviolate.
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I basically never know how many fouls a player has. The only exceptions are after each period when I look at the sheet to see if any players are on 4 fouls - that was I know that if I call the 5th then they are out.
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Have to disagree here, however. Never make an effort or represent to anyone, especially the scorer, that you want to know how many individual fouls any player has until they reach the 5th. You are just asking for trouble if coaches know you know a player has 4, or for that matter, 0, at any given time in a game. "You didn't call that because he already has 4" is what they will think, and probably say, too. If a player has 4 and there is an "iffy" foul and you let it go, and everyone knows you know he has 4 - can you see the danger there in just giving the appearance of protecting a player. Conversly, if he has 4 and you call it, even if you would have called it if he had 0, you'll get just the opposite perception from coaches, players and fans. I tell scorers prior to the game to tell us ONLY when and if a player reaches 5. I suggest you do the same, too.
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As an aside, my younger brother holds the record for NSW State League (about the same as DIV2 NCAA, but open age). He played 2 consecutive seasons (all told about 60 games) fouling out in every game! He always fouls out quicker when I referee him, since I know all the little tricks in his game, and see a lot of the fouls that other refs notice. It's kinda funny, other teams hate me refereeing him, beacuse they think I am going to be biased towards him, when really it usually turns out the other way.
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Years ago, I reffed my son in rec league sometimes. The same thing happened. He always was a very physical player (he wore a T-shirt in warmups that said "No reconstructive surgery - no foul.") and I "knew his tricks" too. I called a lot of fouls on him, probably disproportionate to the other players, not because I was trying to compensate, but because I was watching him all the time.