" Selling the call"

[rpwall]

There probably is a fine line separating "selling a call" from "showboating".

IMHO, selling a call is for psychological reasons. We need to show confidence in our call or we subject ourselves to overt and covert questioning.

The game will go best when officials officiate, coaches coach and players play. When any one of those tries to fulfill one of the others' role (e.g., a player who tries to officiate), the game will deteriorate. That will not only affect our enjoyment of the evening but could have an effect on the outcome of the game. Elevated emotions can lead to technicals or fights or sub-par play/officiating/coaching. If we can help avoid that by displaying confidence in our calls, we should do so.

But, I agree that an official can go too far in selling a particular call or in selling too many calls. Calling too much attention to ourselves could create other negative emotions. I don't think we need to sell calls at the table for instance. We just need to do so at the point of the foul, when warranted.