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Rocky
As you are aware books often have comments in them that are not really what happens on the floor.
We "encourage" all officials to talk to players on the floor.
We reward common sense.
I think you have gone overboard with your last statement . . . but, for yet another time I will reference two examples of things that developed on the court and then made it to the books:
1) Long ago, when you were probably a pup, there was no signal for the mid-court violation. Officials started using the point from front court to back court gesture. That "eventually" became the signal. It wasn't in "The Book" but it was used even in NCAA playoffs.
2) For decades the three second signal was a horizontal movement across the midsection. Ed Hightower (I believe)started a revolution when he made the call from the side of his body in a vertical movement. That also became the accepted movement BEFORE it ever made it to any manual.
These are just two examples of things that change from what is written in the book.
Just like in Baseball, Basketball has people that take the rule book as the law and try to call exactly as it is written and others call by spirit and intent.
"Talking to players" is an excellent example of what REALLY happens in upper division games. Not only does the WAC condone this activity for officials so does the PAC 10 and the WCAC.
Now lets talk about "things happening at the same time":
We know from studies (the most current done by the NTSB) that the human mind cannot possibly recognize activities that occur in under .0445 seconds (say we refer to "the tie goes to the runner in Baseball" or the exact instant between the ball leaaving the shooters hand and the horn to end a period in Basketball). Therefore it is impossible to recognize which of two fouls happened first OR if they where at the "same instant."
In my expereince as an official and evaluator we would "rather" see an official make a quick, and authoritive call on one of two players rather than two.
An individual official calling a double foul, IN MY OPINION, shows that there was a process that occurred BEFORE this whistle and it should have been handled EARLIER by calling a single foul on one player, or as many fouls as necessary on subsequant trips down the court.
Cleaning up post play is not easy . . . but it can be handled.
Rocky, there are three basic types of officials:
People that call closely ("Hey, REF you going to continue that pitty-patty crap all night!")
People that call advantage-disadvantage ("Hey, REF let's make sure you call it the same BOTH ways!")
People that call no blood-no foul ("Hey, REF they're KILLING each other out there!")
As an evaluator I have never cared which of these you are as long as you call consistently.
Sorry for the long answer, however, you would be graded down for calling a double foul by yourself under the training that I have had.
[Edited by Tim C on Nov 14th, 2002 at 06:18 PM]
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