Kelvin, it's all perception and the image that an organization wants/hopes to project. We always say that if you wear a stained shirt, or have a funky hair style, or if you wear belted pants, or if you have facial hair, or if you wear glasses, or if you arrive at a game site in sweatpants, or
whatever -- you are judged on your appearance. If you have a bad appearance then you already have the coaches against you, even if you're a good official.
In the NCAA, they want to project the image that their officials are working hard and not lazy. So they run to the table, they jump to catch a FT before it hits the ground. They purposely line up a couple steps away from the basket so that they can slide down to catch the rebounding action. All this is supposed to project a hard woking/hustling image for the officials.
At the pro level, they want to project a "cool under fire", very professional image. So running to report a foul is a waste of energy. It makes you look nervous or over-eager. If the coaches see you doing that, they'll perceive you as too immature or excitable.
I don't really think it makes any difference at all. It's all in what is expected. If you do what's expected, you fit in and look like you're with the program. If you don't do what's expected (like giving the player control signal in a pro game
), then you look like a fish out of water and you draw unwanted attention to yourself. Bottom line, when in Rome. . .
Just my two cents.
Chuck