[Pantherdreams]

There are obivously lots of reasons for needing to tighten or even loosen the way a game is being called through the natural progression of a basketball game. Often we hope we'll have a good pre-game, call what we see, the teams will play hard, it will be a good competitive game, we'll stay sharp and everthing will work out.

We also know that there are times when the universe doesn't help a brother/sister out that way.

Last night we knew we were going to have a good competitive game but the home team probably out matched the visitors. Both teams play m2m almost exclusively and both like to pressure to ball. My partner in pregame wanted to look at trying to let them play (be really conscious of whether ball carriers were being impeded or disadvantaged) really hold the whistle until we were sure contact was more then incedental and going both ways. I agreed but said that we still had to call the fouls when we felt like they happened and not wait for contact to escalate to be "sure". We also pregamed some stuff about the home crowd and game management (both are a little notorious) and reviewd some footwork questions coaches had brought to my partner the previous game.

Game gets underway. Both teams playing hard. Game is physical and competitive as expected. We start calling fouls when people are displaced, obvious contact with arms and bodies that is gaining advantage. All good calls no comments from the coaches. Visitors very quicly fall back into half court m2m while the home team keeps picking up full court. Becoming apparent its going to be a long night for the home team because their advantage is they've got some larger athletic girls that keep making gambling plays or when they bump to intercept a ball are clearing out the other team. Their big 3 are in foul trouble from the 2nd quarter on.

Half time rolls around and V are up 11. We go to locker room. Partner asks me what I want to do? I don't understand so I ask for clarifcation. He says the way we are calling the game is impacting the outcome. I ask if he thinks we've blown any calls or are doing something wrong. He says no but that the home team is suffering because of the calls we are making. I tell him thats not an issue. One team adjusted one didn't, you roll the dice you takes your chances. We agree that we feel like we're doing a good and the coaches aren't concerned (verbally to us anyway) so we keep going.

Great 2nd half. Home comes out on a run. Very competitive. We have to call one unsportsmanlike foul (wpuld be a tech in NFHS) on a V player. She took a shot to the face in a trap on a reach and as foul was called took another so she responds throwing the girl to the ground. We step in. Thrown girls parents get upset and start threatening V player and us. Game management steps in and removes them. Game goes on. Last 3 minutes the Bg 3 foul out and V makes another run to push the game to OT. V has 2-3 kids fouled out too but not their best.

Break in between OT partner comes to me and says " We've got to tighten up. The kids left in the game can't handle the sort of contact we've been letting go. We need to get the kids to back off and play this out so we have a good ending to the game. I nod and say I'll call what I see when its there."

THe V team gets called for 5 blocking fouls in the OT (4 by my partner 1 from me) I feel like the calls softer then ones he would have made earlier but (post game) he says he felt like the contact was putting the bench kids at more of a disadvantage. Home ends ups winning outscoring them 10-9 in OT. V hits 3 threes. H makes 10-12 free throws. On one foul call the V coach calls me over. He says I don't know what my kids are doing wrong. I explain the call I had. He says that fine but that hasn't been the standard of contact for the last 40 minutes and now the game is being called differently in overtime. I respond that I'm calling the foul because I saw one and walked away.

Post game we talk. Great game overall just an odd feeling walking out.

At what point in what situations do you change your standard up or down for foul calls and borderline violations in games? Blowouts? Rough play? Just curious on this situation but specfically in the future in what situations you would change the standard you opened the game with me match the game.