Majority rule?

[ChristianHog1965]

Good Morning. I have a rules question please.

Scenario: Player takes a shot with one second left that is signalled as a 3-pointer by two of the three officials working the game. The bucket gives the shooter's team a 1-point victory as time expires. However, the lead official signaled the bucket to be a 2-pointer. The officials spend five minutes reviewing the play and eventually reverse the call on the court and made it a 2-pointer sending the game into OT.

Question: Is there a "majority rules" situation when it comes to the officials calls or does the lead official carry more weight?

Background: (excerpt from a story in today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

"With: 01.8 seconds on the clock in regulation Wednesday at LSU, Arkansas forward Mike Jones sank a basket around the top of the key.

Before releasing the shot, Jones stepped on the 3-point line, then moved his foot back.

Two officials signaled a 3-pointer, and it was registered that way on the scoreboard: Arkansas 59, LSU 58. "We thought it was a 3 just like everyone else in the arena and we were going to shake hands," Heath said.

However, Tom Eades, the officiating crew chief and official closest to the shot, called it a 2-pointer.

With the disagreement, the officials went to the score table to check the video.

Upon reviewing the video of the basket for about 5 minutes, the officials ruled it a 2-pointer and the game went into overtime.

After the game, LSU’s sports information department collected a statement by Eades about the decision. "When I made the call on the floor, it was originally a 2," Eades was quoted. "We went to the replay to be sure. It was inconclusive and didn’t show us his foot was not on the line."

I am obviously a partial fan and feel that the razorbacks were robbed of the victory by a very poor decision. I have seen the video several times and it looks like his foot is behind the line, although it is very close.

Thanks!
God Bless

[Edited by ChristianHog1965 on Jan 20th, 2005 at 08:34 AM]