Late game - stop the clock fouls

[so cal lurker]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Because tactics, especially offensive tactics, vary from game to game.

I've actually played and watched enough basketball to recognize that . . . and while I'm not a basketball ref, I am a soccer ref, so I have a pretty decent grasp of the situational aspect . . .

But the simple fact is (and I think it is actually aptly demonstrated by the various comments in this thread, all of which are coming from refs that have enough commitment to the craft to be hanging out here to get better) that there is a wide chasm separating how different officials call these plays that has absolutely nothing to do with the tactical differences in games. There is, of course, always going to be grey, but from my experience in watching HS games the past few years, that grey zone is way to big from game to game so that players (on O or D) have no idea what is going to be called at the end of any particular game such that the intentional calls seem more like lottery ticket wins than punishment for misconduct.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by so cal lurker

... that there is a wide chasm separating how different officials call these plays that has absolutely nothing to do with the tactical differences in games.

Sorry to hear that. Luckily for me, what happens in Southern California isn't the same as what happens in my little corner of Connecticut. We're pretty consistent, especially on the varsity level, from official to official, from game to game, and from year to year, as to how we handle late game situations. It's often discussed at our meetings, even if it's not a NFHS Point of Emphasis at the time.