I was watching a classic college basketball game on the Black Family Channel (cable of course) and the commentators of Alcorn State vs. Prairie View A&M were playing in a SWAC game had a conversation that made me almost fall out of my chair.

They color announcer was talking about the foul disparity in the game and suggested or asked would the officials "start calling the game to even it up?" The play by play announcer immediately said, "That is a myth created by coaches." I could not believe it.

Just thought I would share. :D

Peace

I also noticed something else. The officials were wearing the grey pinstriped shirts. I thought the D1 Level outlawed those shirts last year?

Peace

i know a lot of officials that do this all the time... they just look for stuff to call so the fouls can be even...can't stand to call with people that do that...sometimes you have a team pressing and a team in a zone, which puts the numbers uneven...you can't go looking for fouls to "EVEN IT UP".. man that kills me. But to some, if the fouls aren't even at half time they talk about it and make sure that it gets evened out the second half...then you get into touch fouls where there is no advantage and small things like that...it's bad for the game

I did my first 3 person Varsity Game last year with 2 "senior " officials, and the first thing they were happy about in the locker room at half time was the fouls were even. I bit my tongue, but what does that have to do with the game?

It makes the game run smoother. One less thing for the coaches to complain about. Take all of those that you can get. If they play so that the fouls are even be grateful.

Not our job to make happen.
 

I agree that a game might go smoother if that takes place. I disagree that you should make it happen. You cannot just call fouls because one team has more than the other. You should call your game and let things take place for itself. Maybe one team is just more talented? Maybe one team is pressing while the other team is in a zone? There is all kind of reasons the foul totals are not the same and it is not our job to make it so.

Peace

Absolutely it isn't our job to make the fouls even, but if it works out that way, I am always glad. Didn't think I suggested anything else.

If I'm reffing a blow-out game and the fouls are real uneven, I might say this to my partner. "White is down by 30 and getting frustrated. Let's concentrate even harder to make sure we don't miss any red fouls." Good game management in my book.

However, I've had officials tell me to find a quick foul on red to help even up the discrepancy. To me, that is going way too far.

Z

coaches know why their team has more fouls in the book, they just like to hear themselves howl. theory; foul the crap outta em and they'll quit coming in there plus the more fouls there are, possibly the refs will miss more.

I think that the NCAA decided that the shirt could not be worn at any NCAA-sanctioned game, regardless of the division. The rationale was that the rulebook clearly states that the uniform is a black-and-white striped shirt.

Even out the fouls?
 

Had a Soph Boys game last year, late in first half, fouls somewhere around 9-10 to 2, coach of the team with many fouls asked, as I was running by him on way down court, "what can we do to even out the fouls"...my reply was "play better defense"... didn't hear another word from him rest of game....

What do you mean by NCAA-sanctioned game? Is not a D1 Conference game sanctioned? The SWAC is at the D1 level. This was a replay of one of the last games of this past basketball season. This was the only conference game I saw on TV that had the officials in these shirts.

Peace

I mean exactly what I said. I think (but I'm not sure, I could be wrong) that the NCAA prohibited any shirt except the black-and-white stripes. This was true (again, I think) for all levels of NCAA play, including D1.

If the game you saw was from last year, then that conference (or perhaps just those officials) were in violation of that NCAA directive.

Much like my home state uses the shot clock for HS, even tho it's not a FED state option.