Tough Call

[hoopsrefBC]

Yes, rules are rules....and kevin i for one like your post

One of our biggest jobs in my mind is to let the players determine the outcome of the game. With 4.8 seconds left in the game, any official who makes a 10 second free-throw violation call is in my mind doesn't know what there doing. The rules of basketball are a guide, they arn't black and white.

Looking back, why did you wait 11.5 seconds to call the violation,why not at 10 when the rule was first broken? I know your going to give the benefit to the shooter right? Well take it a step further, LET THEM ATTEMPT THE SHOT.!

The situation you describe is what make officiating so hard, not what you did but what's going to happen in the future. Mark my words, every time that coach sees another official he will be wanting the 10 second free throw violation called. You've not only set yourself up with the coach you've also set up all your fellow officials.

I personally have only called 1 of these violations. It occured when a shooter who had received the ball for the free throw, placed the ball on the free throw line and ran back to their bench. Even then, i gave the shooter at least 15 seconds to put up a shot. By the way it was a forty point ball game and the winning team was at the line.

How you dealt with the coach was justified, his actions shouldn't be aloud to displayed, however i again think that your first action of calling the unnecessary violation lead to the bigger problem.

The reason i sound so upset is that we have an official in our association that sounds like yourself. He calls an indirect 'T' every time a player runs out of bounds and by out of bounds i mean an inch or two. It just stupid!! Why look for things to call, are there too few?!

Anyone can know the rules, but can you understand why the rules have been writen the way they are. Officials must understand the spirit and intent of the rules and not just the words.

keep smiling
SH