You may, or may not, have heard about a website called, "60 Seconds On Officiating" (ref60.com). This website started about two, or three, years ago as a great idea. It appears to be run by two very bright, knowledgeable, officials, Tim Malloy, and Billy Martin. Their website is viewed by over 39,000 coaches, and officials, in 70 countries around the world. IAABO is listed as a partner on their website. Periodically throughout the season, and even in the offseason, they will post information about a particular situation, and try to explain the rules, and interpretations, behind the situation. This information is emailed to subscribers, at no cost. Sounds pretty good. Right?
Well, not quite. I have found the information that they post to be very informative, and about 99% correct. And that's the problem. Not 100% correct. Just 99% correct. For some reason, maybe due to a lack of personnel, or financial resources, occasionally they let an incorrect statement "slip" into their explanation of a specific situation. Maybe they don't realize that with over 39,000 viewers, that they have a responsibility to make sure that the information that they post be as accurate as possible. Many internet users believe, incorrectly, that anything posted on the internet must be true. This is true for the population in general, and is probably true for officials, especially rookie officials, or inexperienced officials.
A few days ago "60 Seconds On Officiating" posted a situation entitled, "Be Technically Correct". It was an article about how to handle a technical foul charged to a player between periods, and it was well written, informative, and 99% factual. The problem was that the first sentence stated, "The sound of the horn and the official's whistle are heard to end an uneventful first half of play in an NFHS contest". My problem with this was that I had never seen any mechanic, either NFHS, or IAABO, that stated that an official should sound his, or her, whistle at the end of an "uneventful" period, and by uneventful, I mean no complicating last second shot, foul, goaltending, basket interference, etc., in the last few seconds of the period.
I offered two posts asking about such a mechanic, and asking for a citation, either NFHS, or IAABO, that suggested that a whistle must be sounded to end all "uneventful" periods. I even suggested that such a mechanic might be correct "When in Rome ...", that is, accepted in a local area, but that this was not an accepted mechanic in national, or international, organizations, such as NFHS, or IAABO.
Here's what happened to both of my posts:
"This comment has been deleted by the administrator."
http://www.ref60.com/index.php/baske...#idc-container
You guys must know me by now. I was not impolite in any manner. I was not sarcastic. I did not insult anyone. I did not call anyone names. I even mentioned that I would accept a "local mechanic" as correct, and yet, this is how I got treated.
1) Is this anyway to moderate an officiating forum website?
2) Can anyone find me a NFHS, or IAABO, mechanics manual citation that states that a whistle must be sounded to end all "uneventful" periods?
Comments?
Note: I don't want to complicate matters, but I'm posting this on the Basketballrefs.com Forum in addition to this forum. "60 Seconds On Officiating" will occassionally post on the Basketballrefs.com Forum, but this Forum seems to be a lot busier, and I wanted to get a wide range of comments.