One of THOSE partners

[SpeedyGonGoalie]

Yeah, intramurals is hell. Talking about baptism by fire, for new officials.

When I'm not scorekeeping, and someone asks me what the foul count is like, I normally say "Some for you, some for them" or something ambigous like that. If they press, I'll go get the actual number. If someone asks why the fouls are not even, I typically explain that some teams foul more than others, then point out something that the one team is doing to rack up fouls (normally reaching on drives). When I do scorekeep, and some asks about the fouls, I give them a run down of who's in foul trouble on their team. Normally it's a lot more specific than what they normally get from scorekeepers, so they forget about their original intent (to compare team fouls). I've even gone as far as not using an even foul count to back up my officiating. I hate it. It means nothing. Especially with our intramural rules, where teams fouls are not counted (automatic double bonus in the last minute of each half). The only time I typically get really even foul counts is games that I am calling especially tight, with a good partner, when fouls are even just because everything is being called. Typically then, they back off, and nothing is called, because no one is fouling. I know if I'm having a bad game and letting something go on one end that I'm calling on the other. Foul counts only tell what you called, not what you didn't.