[BillyMac]

Over twenty-five years ago, I was asked to officiate in high school boys recreation league. This league was for high school boys who either did not make the high school team, or chose not to try out for the high school team (poor grades, lack of commitment, etc.) Each team had a "captain" who also acted as the "coach". There was no adult involvement with this league at all, not even parents in the stands as fans.

The league had five teams, and all five teams would play one night a week, in three back to back to back games. Figure out the math. One of the teams in the first game was always scheduled to play in the third game as well, with the game in between as a "rest period". Well teenage boys being teenage boys, many of these players often decided to spend their "rest time" between games drinking in the parking lot.

I never gave so many technical fouls in my life. I finished my commitment to officiate in that league for that season, and then told my assigner never again. The money was very good, but it wasn't worth it.

Moral to the story: For real basketball games, with games that count, with real officials, there has to be some type of adult administrators, or coaches. Playground ball, with only players involved, no adults, is best done as just that, playground ball. Throw some real officials into a "playground" game, and this "hybrid" of "real basketball" and "playground basketball" is doomed to failure.