Officiating at the end of a close game

[hooper]

Do you officiate any differently during, say, the last couple minutes of a very close game? For example, do you "let them play" more readily? Or only make the calls that are completely obvious, etc?

[Stripes33]

1st to the 4th, call it the same!

[CaliOne]

I passed on a foul once in a close heated game, towards the end. The play then went to the other end of the floor, where the momentum and excited level of play ended up with a huge crash, and bodies strung out all over the floor. I learned that sometimes you have to react quick and call a foul before the game gets out of control. Also, if a team is fouling to stop the clock, give them the first foul so they don't start intentionally fouling to get a whistle and someone gets hurt.

[JRutledge]

Yes.

My concentration level changes as the game goes on. The kids play differently later in the game then they do at the beginning of the game. The intensity changes from the beginning of the game to the end. You cannot officiate the exact same because everything else does not stay the same.

Peace

[cdaref]

I want to think that the same thing that I would call in Q1 gets called with 10 seconds left in a 1 point game in Q4. But the games do change and I am only human I can't say that the situation doesnt creep into my split second judgment under those situations. The pressure to "really make sure it is the right call" is for me what might lead me to pass on a call. I try to call it the same, but we arent robots. I dont consciously loosen it up.

Frankly, I am more likely to consiously loosen it up at the end of a 30 point blow out to get the kids off the floor. In a tight one I am trying to be consistent and focusing on it, in a blow out I am intentionally passing on crap I might otherwise call.

So if you are asking do I intentionally loosen up, my answer is not in tight ones. And the funny thing is that for me it is exactly the opposite situation that makes me "just let them play."

That said, and back to the issue, I think the best thing is during a time out to get with your partner and reaffirm your calling philosophy that you went over in the pregame and have a quick chat about what is and isnt an intentional foul so your whistles are the same at the end.

[tomegun]

Good answers. The game changes and I think we do change. A team can't recover from our mistakes at the end of a game so I think we raise our level of focus and become super critical of ourselves before we put air in the whistle. Sometimes I think it's amazing how quickly we have to run about three things through our heads before we blow the whistle in a close game.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by hooper
Do you officiate any differently during, say, the last couple minutes of a very close game? For example, do you "let them play" more readily?

Art MacDonald preaches to us to call the fouls at the end of the game. Give each team its chance to win the game at the line. Don't give a coach the chance to say "you missed that one".

We're not going to start calling 3-seconds or illegal screens in the last 30 seconds of the game if we haven't had them in the rest of the game. In other words, we're not going to call the game differently at the end of the game. But our concentration and focus are going to be at their peak, and if the foul is there, we have to get it.

[Edited by ChuckElias on Jan 12th, 2006 at 09:11 AM]

[ChrisSportsFan]

I saw the evening college highlights a couple of nights ago. D1 game (I think Missouri and Oklahoma). 1 point game and Missouri is shooting a 3 just before the buzzer. Shooter gets fouled and goes to the line for 3. As an unbiased observer of the play, I was happy/suprised/pleased that the official had the guts to make a call at crunch time.

I know we all say to call the game from bell to bell and then when you make it, you hear fans and coach from one team say "let the players decide the game". If you don't make the call it's generally accepted that "officials will swallow their whistle at the buzzer". I've never liked that phrase as I believe that the offending player made a decision to do something that violated the rules.

Bottom line, if it's there and you see it, make the call. I believe it takes guts and integrity.

[Ref Daddy]

Great points.

At the end of a close game also notice the energy level on the floor. Recognize it is effecting you.

Check your floor mechanics carefully. Work a little bit deeper and relax your shoulders.

Call what you see.