Quote:
Originally Posted by just another ref
I think perhaps that the "game interrupter" thing started with a little insignificant call such as the guy in the high post with his heel touching the line 3 second call. The trouble is that it has grown exponentially in every direction. Now we hear more and more: "We don't call that." A little shuffle of the feet, a slight hesitation of the ball in the hand on a crossover, a defender's hand lightly on the hip, and then all these little things get bigger and bigger. More and more black and white areas are being replaced with various shades of gray.
"Technically, that might have been a (insert name of foul/violation here), but we don't call that." So if you and I do call that, it is dismissed with a wave of the hand and a label: game interrupter.
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I think this is a pretty good take. It started as the 3-second count example you gave, or the borderline carry called while the PG was dribbling near half-court with no pressure, then it grew into the borderline foul call when the defender was beat, or the tough travel in the post when the player didn't gain an advantage, and now it's used to describe anything a coach or player or other official doesn't think should be called "for the good of the game."
It doesn't mean anything - or it means everything - but bottom line is it's a useless term because everyone looks at it differently and has a different perspective. The "concept" is fine, but everyone operates from a different definition, so it is useless in a real conversation.