Game Management?

[Rita C]

I'm relatively new to reffing basketball. This is my second year. I've umpired baseball for six years.

I sit in on the halftime talk between varsity partners and listen. I hear them say things like, "Team A has 9 fouls and team B has 2. We need to even that up." "Find something to call in the first few minutes to let the coaches know you are watching."

In baseball we are supposed to call the game the same in the last inning as we do the first. In a blowout we might widen the strike zone but we do it for both teams. Sometimes it seems like the basketball varsity guys and gals are adjusting to appease coaches.

Is this my imagination or a valuable game management tool in basketball?

Rita

[Red_Killian]

It's your imagination....

Do you think the coach of team with 9 fouls is telling his players, hey fouls are 9 to 2. The refs will let us get away with stuff at the start of the second half, so get some good hacks in until the foul count evens out. NO!

These guys are YAHOOS! If they're saying stuff like that, I'd find other officials to learn from.

[Jurassic Referee]

It's your imagination. Call the game the same way you do your baseball games--consistent from start to finish. Please don't take those two clowns as role models. Lah me.

[mopar60]

I have not reffed a game yet and even I think that is ridculous thinking from expierienced officials.

That is like penalizing a team for playing good clean defence.

[JRutledge]

There is a rule of thought out there that mirrors those partners. Some say to even it up. Some say look for fouls against the team with that has not fouled as much. I do not think everyone will agree one way or the other. I just think that way of thinking can get you into more trouble than just calling the game without that philosophy.

Peace

[Forksref]

Coach, I never look at the fouls. And if I did, I would never use a quota system.

[reed.greg]

Originally posted by Rita C
I'm relatively new to reffing basketball. This is my second year. I've umpired baseball for six years.

I sit in on the halftime talk between varsity partners and listen. I hear them say things like, "Team A has 9 fouls and team B has 2. We need to even that up." "Find something to call in the first few minutes to let the coaches know you are watching."

Is this my imagination or a valuable game management tool in basketball?

Rita

I pose that you are wise to think that something can be gained from observation. This should be the focus, not adding fouls to even-it-out. If I know the foul count when I get to the half in a soccer match you may here something like this in a conversation with my assistants. With a foul count 9-2, are you seeing something I am not? Did I miss anything? Have my fouls been fair? Have you noticed any feeback, verbal or by action, that says the team with 9 fouls is unhappy with the fairness of the game. This approach puts attention to correcting any problems you may have created, not just trying to save face or appease a coach.

[ChuckElias]

I agree with Rut on this. (Hey, it happens )

It's not your imagaination, Rita. For the vast majority of officials, we are aware of the foul count, but we don't intentionally try to "even it up". There are, however, a lot of officials who think that in an evenly played game, the foul count should also be even. I've worked with one in the past (and in fact have a game with him again very soon).

Last night, fouls were 5-0 in the home team's favor and the visiting coach mentioned it to my partner. His comment was, "Believe me, Coach, we are all aware of it. Nobody in the gym wants to see a foul against them more than me. If you see one, let me know. But I can't make one up for you."

I think that's the right attitude. If there is a large discrepancy in the foul count, then be sure that you're not missing something. But don't make something up, either.

So, while it's not your imagination, it's also not good officiating. Put that philosophy in the circular file and go listen to a couple of other officials at halftime of your next game.

JMO.

[bradfordwilkins]

I agree with the above. I personally don't even like to hear the foul count except for when it deals with 1 and 1 or double bonus. I had a moron come up to me after the game yesterday and said he wanted to point out that we called more fouls in the half (intermurals run 18 minute halves here) on his team than the opposing team which won by 20 points. The foul count? 3 to 5. I almost laughed right in the guys face because he was pointing to the scoreboard to show me the "discrepency" haha.

I especially don't want to know about when a player has four fouls or something like that. I see refs ask who is in foul trouble at halftime. What relevance does that have?

[mj]

Everone should be aware of the foul count. Do I care if it's 9-2? Yes, because the next foul on the team with 9 we shoot 2. Do I care if a player has 4 fouls? Yes, because his next one he's disqualified and we need a sub for him.

$.02 from me

[Almost Always Right]

In most of those sitches, one team is probably playing man to man and the other sits back in a zone and is not as aggressive. This has been my answer to coaches before, " . . .coach you are more aggressive than they are."

In these sitches of course you are going to have a foul discrepancy however, if both teams are playing aggressive defense, you have to be consistent on both ends and part of that is being aware that your partner(s) are calling hand checks, illegal screens, etc. That is in part where this type of philosophy comes from. It does give the crew an air of consistency, regardless of whether they are or not.

IMHO - I do my best to just call each play and hope that I am aware of what my partner(s) are calling or not calling. At some levels, we are trained by people that control our collective destiny that the foul count should be as close as possible. Most of the time it works out for us.
AAR

[tjones1]

Got to be aware of the foul count, I agree. If you don't, you are going to get yourself into trouble when it comes bonus time. But, you should not just even things up. If you do this, you aren't calling YOUR game.

I agree that if there's a wide discrepancy in foul count, to discuss with partner at the half if we're missing anything. I sat in on a couple of varsity officials one night while watching my cousin coach, and they had a similar situation. They even asked me if I noticed they were missing anything. I told them they were calling it good because I couldn't find anything they could have done to make it closer on fouls. Had the same discussion after the game was over, and I did notice a couple that got away, otherwise it was a well called game.

This is the kind of situation where you feel it isn't fair, but it turns out you're usually calling it correctly and it may not feel right. I've had a few like that, and would go home and replay it in my mind and come to the conclusion there was nothing more I could have done.

[cmathews]

In our association we have both schools of thought, the even em up a little, and the just call it as you see it...

To be honest I am in the middle...the even em up school learned their philosophy at D-1 camps and it goes like this. You don't pass on obvious calls for the team "up" in the foul count, however if there is a judgement call try and call the team "behind" in the foul count. Don't pick big plays, if the team "behind" in the count is on defense, and there is a hand check, that maybe you pass on usually, go ahead and get it, all it does is give the same team the ball back, and the game goes much smoother from a game management perspective.

The other philosophy is obvious, and I find myself in the middle because, it has been my experience, that if you have a 9-3 count in the first half you are pretty apt to end up with a 4-11 count the second half (assuming the game is evenly played and not a blowout) and you end up with an over all reasonable number anyway....And as always any foul count complaint goes out the door with a pressing versus non pressing team, or with a drive to the lane versus perimeter shooting team.....

[Rita C]

Originally posted by cmathews
In our association we have both schools of thought, the even em up a little, and the just call it as you see it...

To be honest I am in the middle...the even em up school learned their philosophy at D-1 camps and it goes like this. You don't pass on obvious calls for the team "up" in the foul count, however if there is a judgement call try and call the team "behind" in the foul count. Don't pick big plays, if the team "behind" in the count is on defense, and there is a hand check, that maybe you pass on usually, go ahead and get it, all it does is give the same team the ball back, and the game goes much smoother from a game management perspective.

I don't see myself being able to do this. At this point I am doing well to remember which team is going which direction. I'm looking for actions, not who is making the action.

On the funny side, I wrote the original post yesterday afternoon. Last night I had a game. At the half the coach of one team said as he was leaving the floor, "You've called 9 fouls on us and 2 on them! 9 to 2!" I thought it funny that it should be the same number I used hypothetically in my post.

Given that his team was 25 points behind as well, I would think it would be better for him to look at his coaching than our calling. LOL

Rita