Stupid is as stupid does

twref · #1 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 02, 2005, 02:16pm

This happened to me in a varsity basketball game last week. Game goes into overtime and there are no stopages/time outs in the final 75 seconds. Tie score-Team A scores a 3, Team B scores a 3, team A scores a 2 with 12 seconds to go. B pushes the ball down court, B1 goes baseline-three feet behind the basket-and crashes through A1. There is a scramble in the lane and at the same moment I've got a grab on A3, my partner (the trail) has a jump ball between B2 and A2 and the horn goes off. Several bits of stupidity: (1) I lost track of the clock assuming there were 1-2 seconds left and, because of this, passed the crash-there was actually four seconds left. (2) then I decide to call a foul on A3 and (3) my partner calls a held ball in the lane when someone should be watching the clock. We talked for 3-4 seconds, decided there was no time left on the clock and called the game over. My question is this-could we have screwed this one up any more then we did and since we do not have definative proof of how much time was left on the clock should we have put .2/.4/.8 seconds back and played it out? Upon watching the local access cable TV replay of the game you can hear our whistle(s)and less then a second later you hear the horn. The replay also shows my foul, my partners jump ball and the clock does not have a tenth of a second capability. Any suggestions out there?

cmathews · #2 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 02, 2005, 02:34pm

Why would one of you be watching the clock in a live ball situation. The crash thing is a judgement call, if it is a foul early it should be one now, however I think we all know that we make sure it is a good foul not a cheapie in the final seconds...don't second guess everything you did, it sounds like it wasn't too bad, did it look that bad on TV??

tjones1 · #3 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 02, 2005, 02:55pm

If "less than a second later" (after your whistle) the horn sounded, there is no timing error due to lag time. Now you've got to decide which whistle was first. If it was your partner's, the call is held ball, game over. If you go with your foul and Team B is in the bonus, then we have bonus or double bonus. As I read it, Team A is up two, if it's bonus or double bonus and the first throw is missed (the lane is clear), game over, don't shoot the second if in double. If no bonus, obviously game over.

Now, what'd I miss....I'm sure I missed something!

twref · #4 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 02, 2005, 02:55pm

Had I guaged the clock better I would have called the charge-too many things can happen in four seconds after giving A the ball. My partner had the "task" of both monitoring last shot and officiating a live ball situation. If we don't have the jump ball call now we only have to worry about the clock and if my call is a good one. My partners a good official and I'm not going to tell him to only worry about the clock-but it was one more piece of the puzzle. B's coach wants the foul or the jump ball-A's coach wants the charge and if you're not going to call the charge how do you call a foul on A3? It would have been easier had there been a time out so we could have discussed strategy-no excuses-we did a poor job.

Jurassic Referee · #5 (**permalink**) Wed Mar 02, 2005, 03:20pm

Quote:

Originally posted by twref
Had I guaged the clock better I would have called the charge-too many things can happen in four seconds after giving A the ball.

In a 2-point game, all you shoulda been worrying about re: the clock is whether a shot or foul occurs before the horn. If a foul or a violation occurs, just call it. Why would a foul with 4 seconds to go be different than the same foul with one second to go anyway?

You're thinking too much. Just call the game.