Goaltending ???

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The trail's mechanics ... is what caused this issue. If he had simply ran closer and turned to the table and said, "Count the basket" then it would have looked a lot better.

Are you saying that he should have ignored his partner's whistle (he definitely heard it because he kept is hand up as he walked toward him to confer) and immediately, strongly, emphatically, and confidently counted the basket, only after that to confer with his partner?

That's one way to handle this situation. That certainly would have been a better look and would have have projected a strong call, and, in hindsight, it would not have generated any controversy (lead called a slightly later unintentional foul on Red but it was determined to be after the goaltend, thus a dead ball, so same outcome), but the trail didn't have the advantage of hindsight at the time of the call.

I will agree that, once the conference was complete, and the decision was made to call the goaltend, the trail should have turned to the table, emphatically signaled the good basket, and emphatically stated, "Count the basket", but he didn't, his approach was much too casual, like he makes last second, possibly controversial, game saving calls, in win or go home games, every day! Just another ho hum day at the office.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Normally one would like this goaltending call to be emphatically made, "Count the basket", by the trail. I think that he was temporally put off by the lead's whistle, and didn't want to count the basket until he checked with his partner (travel, etc.). By watching the Red team and their fans, even when the trail makes his decision, he doesn't announce it until he gets to the table, and it was never an emphatic signal. Once the trail made his decision, I would have liked him to take a step away from his partner to an open area on the court and emphatically "slam down" the two points, "Count the basket". And only then move toward the table to answer any polite questions from the White coach.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... this call should have been "sold" and never really was ... how many times have we been encouraged not to give preliminary signals on double whistles? If the trail had immediately and emphatically "slammed down" the two points, "Count the basket", and then discovered that the lead called a travel (even though he put up a fist) before the goaltend (with a late whistle, but with the travel before the goaltend), then we'd be discussing a different type of problem. That being said, once the crew made the decision that it was a goaltend, the trail certainly did not do a very good job of selling the call.