Had a blowout of about 20 points (B team ahead), 5 seconds left in the game.

A1 dribbling the ball up the floor quickly to try to get one last shot. B1 and B2 both aggresively double team A1 right before the halfcourt line. B1 very OBVIOUSLY pushes A1 in the back (not intentional, just momentum) causing A1 to go to the floor and lose the ball. TWEET! I call a foul, 3 seconds left on the clock. Unbeknownst to me it was 1 and 1 now.

I try not to keep track of the fouls till it gets to 1 and 1. I don't even like to look at the book and see "is there equal distribution of fouls" like many do. Anyway, back on point.

Obviously the call was correct, however, am I right to blow the whistle? I'd like tot hink I call a consistent game buzzer to buzzer, but is that me taking things too literal?

Ironically, the guy missed the free throw and no points scored. The only thing that irked me in the situation was that my rookie partner working our 2nd (and last) game of the night (the same guy who had earlier tried to tell me a defender cannot be moving his feet to take a player control foul... haha) loudly questioned why I called a foul in the situation and then proceeded to banter along with the players whom the foul was called on.

But anyway, would you blow the whistle there?

I would pass on something like this, just let the game end and get to your locker room. Now if it was intentional or flagrant then you've got to go get it. My $.02

Would it be a foul in a 2 point game?

Would it be a foul in the first 3 seconds?

The kids playing at the end of a blow out game DESERVE to have the same game called that the starters in a close game get.

Yeah I understand both sides of it.

You never pass on a foul just to get a game over, you can delay a whistle a tad longer and hope for lag time from the timer, but don't pass. The kids deserve better.

My thought... you can be slow. you can even pass on some fouls (slap to wrist, block, etc especially if ball stays with player)

in this case player gets knocked to floor and loses ball, you need to call this. If the kid gets knocked to floor hard and you dont have whistle, what do you do when the player retalliates, or yells at you?

A "hard" foul like the one you describe has to get called. An alert timekeeper may let time expire after your whistle in that situation, especially at the "sub varsity" levels.

Took it the wrong way...I thought the momentum from another team A player made team B go into A1. Probably would help if I read the thread a little more careful, trying to multi-task...not working very well if ya can't tell! :D Thanks bz

loudly questioned why I called a foul in the situation and then proceeded to banter along with the players whom the foul was called on.

Here is a much bigger problem IMO.

If I am observing this game and hear this rookie clown "loudly questioning" one of your calls during the game...well, let's just say he's gonna have a much bigger a****** when I get done critiquing him after the game.

Is there a reason this thread is going on twice? Am I in some sort of strange time warp? Governor Arnold's not going to track me down to kill me is he? I still think that you have to call the hard fouls for safety. I also think your rookie should be asking you questions, not telling you when and when not to blow your whistle. Excuse me, someone's at the door looking for Sarah Conner.

Hmm....

I bet you could come up with a good sig line about multi-tasking and reffing. I'm not getting anything, but I bet you are up to the challenge, tanner!

I'm in this boat right here, let the kid shoot his freethrows. Mainly for the last reason.

Possibly the only case in which lag time is a good thing. ;)

There is some weird stuff going on, this thread was posted twice and two different times I went back to edit a post and it got deleted when I hit submit.

Team A is down 20.

Team B is double teaming the ball with 5 seconds left.

B1 knocks A1 to the floor.

You're not calling a foul? :(