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Sun Feb 20, 2005, 09:27pm
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This article appeared in Sunday's News & Observer (out of Raleigh, NC)
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/c...-8525466c.html There's a pretty good side bar with John Claugherty that I did not include below, but that is at the link Enjoy.. Scrutiny on rise for men in stripes Some worry that hoops officials are overworked, undertrained By NED BARNETT, Staff Writer It's as much a part of the game as the slam dunk and the 3-point shot. It's the exasperated coach objecting to an official's call. Georgia Tech's Paul Hewitt throws his head back, turns his palms up and looks skyward. Mike Krzyzewski's face hardens to a scowl, and the Duke coach's eyes bore into the whistle blower. N.C. State's Herb Sendek pleads with his hands, then lets his shoulders slump. North Carolina's Roy Williams cracks a sarcastic half-smile. The eyes of Maryland's Gary Williams bulge like a madman's. Is it all just gamesmanship? Or are coaches responding to a real problem? Are bad or missed calls too frequent and too costly? The officials say they make mistakes but that coaches overreact because they're on television and under increasing pressure to win. "Theatrics are a big part of what they do now. Coaches have really become celebrities," said Bill Topp, a small-college referee who edits Referee magazine. The coaches can't say much. Atlantic Coast Conference rules forbid them from discussing details of officiating, but former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty said their protests are on target half the time. "In my experience, we as coaches are probably 50 percent right on our complaints, which means you think you see something and then you watch the tape and you're wrong," he said. So, the games and the protests go on, and conspiracy theories simmer. But there has been little discussion of ways to deepen confidence that the right calls will be made consistently and impartially. Instead, the ACC and most of college basketball live with a level of dispute that would be outlandish in other sports. It's the equivalent of a baseball manager kicking dust at the umpire every inning or a NFL coach tossing 20 flags to appeal calls. Arguing in basketball is as old as the first disputed call on one of James Naismith's original 13 rules. It's an inevitable part of a game in which officials make instant judgments in front of fans and coaches who are close to the action. But coaches, officials and other basketball observers believe there are ways to reduce the disputes and improve officiating. A start would be for the ACC to better control referees' hectic schedules and to spend more on in-season training. Are referees too busy? As independent contractors, officials are free to work as many games in as many leagues as they can. In the ACC, they can make $850 per game, and more than $1,000 when per-diem pay and expenses are added. Some earn more than $100,000 a season by working and traveling at a feverish pace. Kyle Snipes, a former director of basketball operations at Wake Forest and former director of women's basketball at Georgia Tech, takes issue with referees' work habits, claiming that they're chasing paychecks at the expense of their performance. Snipes mines the Internet to track a group of officials, many of whom work in the ACC. By mid-February, the ACC referees already had worked more than 50 games, or more than twice as many as ACC teams have played so far. One non-ACC official, Steve Welmer, has worked more than 80 games. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 23, Welmer worked 28 straight days. "I just don't see why leagues can't step in and take them under an umbrella so they're working three or four nights a week and they're fresh," Snipes said. "When you get to February and March, all the games are big games, but when you get to March, you're looking at [officials] who have worked 75 or 80 games. Their workload is so much, how can they stay sharp?" NBA referees are league employees who are limited to no more than 14 games a month and no more than two nights in a row. Ronnie Nunn, the NBA's director of officiating, said the limits are there "for the health and welfare of the officials as far as his body physically and his mind mentally." When officials have worked more than the limit, he said, "we found that they are not as productive." Bryan Kersey, a veteran ACC official, said that "it's up to the individual" to decide how much work is too much. He said he officiates about 60 games a season, but he sees nothing wrong with Welmer's pace. "Steve Welmer does a great job, and there are coaches that want him because he's Steve Welmer," he said. "And Steve Welmer is full of energy every time you see him." Other officials say the pace does wear on most of them. "Sure, they're tired, but they're independent contractors and they're looking to make a living, so they take the games," said John Clougherty, a veteran referee who worked the ACC and now works in the SEC and other conferences. "Come February, the whole fraternity of referees are probably overworked, but that's been going on for 20 years." Habits questioned Some coaches think too much work gives officials too little time to review game tape and have their performances evaluated. "The officials don't have time to look at their mistakes, and they do make mistakes, huge mistakes," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "They're working one game, traveling to another spot, working a game, traveling to another spot, working a game. "We have some very good officials who don't have a chance to improve nearly as much as they would if they had a chance to just be like coaches and players who use that tool [tape] to improve." Some officials disagreed. "I don't think that's an accurate statement. [Officials] do look at film, they look at training videos," said Hank Nichols, the NCAA national coordinator of men's basketball officials. "Now, how much they do it depends on their schedule. ... Maybe they don't look to do it as much as some people think they should, but they do look at it." Official Karl Hess, who worked the recent UNC-Connecticut game, said he tapes all of his games that are televised and reviews them. He found, for instance, that he missed two traveling calls in the contest, one on each team. Hess said of the calls he missed, "the rule of thumb is if you're not sure, pass on it. But I know who those two kids are, and I'll be watching for that next time." "With today's technology, it's pretty difficult not to watch tapes of your games," he said by cell phone while driving from Charlotte to Clemson. "Maybe years ago, guys went from spot to spot and didn't do it, but today, if you're going to keep up with what's going on, you'd better watch the tapes." Some officials may review tapes out of a sense of professionalism, but they aren't required to do so. In the NBA, officials are required to watch DVDs of their games and are subject to regular reviews from supervisors. 'Not a perfect science' ACC associate commissioner Fred Barakat sets the schedules and reviews the performances of officials in three conferences -- the ACC, Colonial Athletic Association and Big South. He oversees 68 ACC officials and 170 overall. He said hiring full-time officials would be too expensive for the ACC but working with them as independent contractors has some "inherent flaws." "I can't disagree with any coach who says what Coach [Roy] Williams said, that they work too much and there's not enough follow-up," he said. "But I'm only one man, and I do all I can." Even with full-time officials, Barakat said, calls would be disputed. "The NBA has it that way," he said. "Don't tell me they don't have problems. This is not a perfect science. The NBA is always looking at tape and makes mistakes, too." Barakat said what he looks for is an official who learns from his mistakes. "If he keeps blowing the same call, he's not going to be here long," Barakat said. "I don't mind them making mistakes. They're human. I do mind if they keep making the same mistake." ACC officials receive most of their training in clinics and summer camps. During the season, some are questioned about specific calls, and a Web site for officials offers replays and tips. Rusty Herring, a former Division I referee who lives in Durham, said officials should be taught more during the season. "Some of the younger officials could really benefit from having someone sit down with them and break down film," he said. "I think that's lacking all over the country. I don't see any training other than camps. I don't see any in-season training. Supervisors would need a lot of help to do that." Williams said the expense would be worth considering. Referring to NBA officials, he said, "that's their job. That's all they do. So if it's right for them, why would it not be for the guys in our profession? Again, we got some guys who really work at it and do a great job, but obviously, it's extremely difficult to continue to improve if you don't see your mistakes." Ways to improve E-mail and DVDs can help the training process, but technology also could do more to eliminate disagreements in the game. TV replays now are used for timing questions, to ensure the right player shoots free throws, to identify players involved in fights and to settle whether a basket at the end of a half or a game should count. Replays could be used to decide more violations, such as charging, goaltending and out-of-bounds calls. Herring said he favors more technology as long as it doesn't slow the game. "The referees always want to get the play right," he said. "The more you can use it, the better off you are." Tensions could be eased by other steps. Taking the postgame muzzle off coaches might make them less vocal during games. Coaches prefer to work with referees they know, but creating a larger pool of referees might reduce the situations in which coaches and officials have a history of conflict. "What's wrong with having people that you totally don't know working your game? There's no agenda. You haven't had to deal with them before," Clougherty said. One of the biggest improvements might be simple common sense. Officials could warn players early on some violations and talk with coaches who have complaints. "Overall, what we've attempted to do is develop improved communications between officials and coaches," said Ed Bilik, secretary of the NCAA basketball rules committee. "Before, they wouldn't even communicate with them at all. They'd just say, 'That's the way I saw it, and that's the way it's going to be.' " UNC's Williams said he has tried to stay on the bench more this year and avoid courtside tirades, but others never sit and regard being up and active as part of coaching itself. Coaches are supposed to be limited to the "coaching box," but some freely stray out of it. Clougherty said enforcing the box and even ordering coaches to sit down wouldn't address the problem of coaches crossing a more subjective line. "A lot of the time, coaches are not bothering you at all, but they are out of the coaching box. A referee is hesitant to give them a technical foul [for leaving the box]," he said. "But if they are out of line, the coaching box has nothing to do with it." Whatever changes may be needed, Nichols said the officiating is getting better. "I'm seeing across the country a very high level [of officiating]," Nichols said. "We're not going to please everybody, but we're not making an extraordinary amount of mistakes so far. At this point in the season, I'm very pleased." Nichols, a referee for 20 years and an NCAA supervisor since 1986, added that his happiness may be temporary. "All's well until the next call," he said. "That's the nature of this damn business, really." 
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Sun Feb 20, 2005, 09:59pm
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__________________
Sprinkles are for winners.
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Sun Feb 20, 2005, 11:24pm
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Another quote that jumped out as...duh
Former North Carolina coach Matt Doherty said their protests are on target half the time.
"In my experience, we as coaches are probably 50 percent right on our complaints, which means you think you see something and then you watch the tape and you're wrong (most or all the time)," he said. Explain the math on this one, coach! Might explain why he is a FORMER coach.
__________________
"Stay in the game!"
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 12:09am
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Unbelieveable.
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:00am
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__________________
Sprinkles are for winners.
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:06am
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:09am
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Harsh? No, but probably an accurate assessment of the situation. I'm not saying it has to do with the quality of officiating -- refs on the women's side are probably "just as bad" in this writer's eyes. Perhaps worse. It's just incredible to me that such a huge piece of college basketball as the entire women's side can be so completely ignored. It adds to his lack of credibility, I think.
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:10am
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some good points
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But I agree with him, many officials work too many games and sooner or later its going to catch up with them. I see it in our local HS and colleges, and I'm sure it's even more evident in the big conferences. Thanks David
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:11am
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:15am
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Juulie,
Someone has to be paying attention to get persecuted.  Peace
__________________
Let us get into "Good Trouble." ----------------------------------------------------------- Charles Michael “Mick” Chambers (1947-2010)
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Mon Feb 21, 2005, 01:16am
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I don't think there were many (if any) good points that weren't simply BFO's (BFO = "blinding flash of the obvious.")
That said, it's up to the schools to limit the games of the officials. As long as we are independent contractors, we can't be expected to give up a pay check in order to spend time training. Think about it. If these refs were to turn down games for training days, they are losing money in the process. If the schools don't like the quality of officiating, they should expand their pool. It's not like the refs are unionized. Instead, they seem to prefer to b!tch about not getting every single call correct; and I doubt they are right 50% of the time (the coaches I mean).
__________________
Sprinkles are for winners.
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