He got trucked

[ChrisSportsFan]

I think I've already had more charge calls already this year then all last season. I would even go so far as to say the 90% of them were so obvious that I got nar a word from the offending teams coach or fans. Is anybody else also experiencing this strange phenomenon?

Of the 4 I had in yesterday's game, only 1 time did a coach mention it and it was a polite "Hey Chris, that was kinda close". I agreed that it was close "but the D beat him there and got trucked".

[zebraman]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
I think I've already had more charge calls already this year then all last season. I would even go so far as to say the 90% of them were so obvious that I got nar a word from the offending teams coach or fans. Is anybody else also experiencing this strange phenomenon?

Of the 4 I had in yesterday's game, only 1 time did a coach mention it and it was a polite "Hey Chris, that was kinda close". I agreed that it was close "but the D beat him there and got trucked".

It's probably just you seeing the floor better, reffing the defense and anticipating the train wrecks better.

Z

[Ref Daddy]

With no scientific backup to support this:

Charging to me is more frequent in the early season as many players shift from Football to Basketball.

I know in our area Football and Basketball seasons overlap a good 30 days so there are always an infux of new players (end of season or playoff run) from a more physcial sport developing their basketball moves and disciplines.

Might be some reason your seeing more charging. if I'm correct it will diminish.

[Nevadaref]

I really believe that this is the result of the upper levels of basketball putting an emphasis on calling player control fouls in recent past. Why?

My best guess is that from the NBA to the NCAA and filtering on down to the NFHS, there has been a concern about rough play. As a result we have seen some major changes in the past four or five years. For example, the FT lane line alignments.

The movement which stresses penalizing offensive players for jumping into defenders in an attempt to draw a foul on the defender as well as not making defenders have to be statues to take a charge is aimed at deterring these contact situations. A few years ago, it seemed that the mindset of the offensive player was that if he took the ball to the basket hard and created contact he would be rewarded with FTs. Now offensive players are coming to believe that they will be penalized for crashing into defenders and thus are more careful or at least more selective in how they attack the basket. The message seems to be out and the coaches and players are arguing player controls fouls less and less.

While the actual rule book wording by which we officiate the block/charge situations has not changed, the level of enforcement clearly has, and I believe it has been to the betterment of the game.

At least that is my perception.

[JRutledge]

The more you ref and the better you get, the more often you see PC fouls in my opinion. You tend to referee the defense more and you see the play a lot better. I think early in most officials career, making a blocking call (or any foul on the defense) was an easier call. I also give the benefit of the doubt as an older player to the defense when an out of control ball handler is going to the basket and just runs over a defender and throws out their shoulder into that defender.

Peace

[fonzzy07]

Ref Daddy I agree with you on your football idea. But i also think that the number of PC fouls are going up everywhere as it seems like it has become more of a point of interest in the past few years to call more offensive fouls. I think for the most part you callinng more PC fouls shows that you are becoming a better official, and seeing that action much better.
Does anyone else agree

[jbduke]

Originally posted by ChrisSportsFan
I think I've already had more charge calls already this year then all last season. I would even go so far as to say the 90% of them were so obvious that I got nar a word from the offending teams coach or fans. Is anybody else also experiencing this strange phenomenon?

Of the 4 I had in yesterday's game, only 1 time did a coach mention it and it was a polite "Hey Chris, that was kinda close". I agreed that it was close "but the D beat him there and got trucked".

What you're observing is simply more data points in a series of random phenomena.

Others have opined on trends in calls, but that is not what you're talking about: you're really talking about plays. It is probably true that with more experience, you are seeing plays better, and as Rut stated, more experienced officials tend to call more offensive fouls, all else equal. What does not change very much, however, is how others (non-officials) see those same plays. You state that your plays have been obvious, not just to you, but to coaches as well.

I'd bet you a holiday-tournament-hospitality-room soda that if you surveyed twenty of your colleagues a couple would say they've called significantly more obvious charges (as judged by coaches' reactions) this year than last, a couple would say significantly fewer, and the bulk would say they've noticed no appreciable difference. You're an extreme case, but you'll likely see things return to a more normal range over the rest of the year.