[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
Guys - I have to disagree with the theory of inventing calls to make against the team that's way ahead and still pressing (or whatever). First of all, it's the coach that's making those decisions, not the players. By making foul calls you would not ordinarily make, this hurts the players on whom you are making the calls - not because they may pick up some fouls in this game, but because you are eroding their knowledge of how they may be allowed to play defense. If you were a young player and all of a sudden a normal defensive move was called a foul, what would you think? You'd either think the ref is inconsistent (or nuts) or that you really are not allowed to play defense that way. This is just a wrong thing to do to the players.

The players are not going to get your hints about what defense they should or should not (in your opinion) be playing. They are going to play the way their coach tells them to play.

Penalizing players for what you perceive is poor sportsmanship on the part of a coach is just plain wrong.

What he said