Comments On NFHS Changes

[BillyMac]

My local IAABO board interpreter recently asked for my comments on the 2006-07 NFHS Rule Changes and Points of Emphasis. Since this Forum has been a little slow lately, I thought that I would offer to the Forum the text of my comments and invite Forum members to offer their comments:

To me, what stands out the most about the changes and POE, is that we a have been asked to increase our job as the "fashion police". It started years ago when Patrick Ewing started wearing an undershirt under his Georgetown jersey. After that the NFHS came up with all kinds of rules regarding undershirts, color, sleeve length, etc. Later it became fashionable to wear compression shorts under the game shorts. Once again the NFHS came up with rules regarding the color and length of the compression shorts. Michael Jordon started wearing a headband, and the NFHS responded with headband rules about single color, logo size, etc. When "hip hop" fashion filtered down to the basketball court, the NFHS responded with rules about shorts being pulled up and jerseys being kept tucked in. Last year we were asked to charge technical fouls to players who used their uniforms in several unsportsmanlike ways. Now we are again being asked to check on headbands for color and uniformity and rules have been added to check on sweatbands.

My problem is that many of our officials will chose not to enforce these "fashion police" rules because, in their opinion, these rules have nothing to do with the "game of basketball". Other officials will chose to enforce these rules as directed by the NFHS. Over the course of a season, especially at the beginning of a season, the lack of consistency among officials will make us look like a bunch of idiots. I believe that it's of utmost importance for our IAABO state interpreters to not only explain the rule changes to their respective IAABO boards next year, but to stress the importance of consistency in the enforcement of these "fashion" rules.

In my opinion, it should be up to the coaches to make sure that their players are properly equipped. The NFHS has asked us to ask the coaches during the pregame coaches and captains meeting if their players are properly equipped and if they know how to wear their uniforms properly. Maybe the NFHS needs to put some "meat" into the coaches response to that question. Instead of officials constantly asking players to flip over their headband to the uniform color side, or to pull up their shorts, or to pull down their sweatbands, or to tuck in their jersey, or to sit out a tick of the clock because their jersey is untucked, perhaps a technical foul issued to the head coach early in the game, and early in the season, would alleviate many of these problems. But once again, it would go back to which officials would enforce this rule and which ones would view this as not part of the "game of basketball" and not enforce this rule.

I am very disappointed that the NFHS did not take away the right of a coach to call a time out from the bench. Since this rule was introduced a few years ago, I'm sure that many officials have had problems giving time outs, in many cases at critical points in the game, because their attention must be directed to the bench rather than the court. It is my understanding that the NBA recently added a rule that allows coaches to call a time out from the bench. Now that this rule has reached the NBA level, I'm sure that there will be no going back to the old rule. I'm positive that the members of the NFHS Rules Committee have never been put into a situation where with seconds to go in a two-official, closely contested game, when a key play is about to occur, possibly involving a foul or a violation, "somebody" from outside your line of sight, yells "time out".

[JRutledge]

A lot of the uniform rules come right from other sports and the NF tries to develop consistency between sports when it comes to rules. For example the change that requires all sweatbands to be below the elbow. This was a football rule and was a pain in the behind to enforce by telling multiple players to move their sweatbands down. We have been enforcing these rules ever since I have been officiating; it just was the compression shorts when I started. These types of situations are not going to change how I enforce them.

I have come to grips with the coach calling timeout. I tell coaches I am not looking at them and they better get their players in the habit of calling timeouts if they want to be sure they will get one granted. I have learned not to turn around or turn away from a play just so I can grant the request based on the coach. If coaches are not smart enough to realize that, shame on them. The rules back us up on this not to grant a timeout if we do not see it. So the coaches better adjust.

Peace

[Brad]

I think that allowing the coach to call a time-out is a good thing. How many times have we been standing next to the coach during a free throw at the end of a game and the coach says, "Ref, give me a time-out on the make." If the NFHS changed the rule, this would technically not be allowed.

I've gotten in the habit of making sure that I glance towards the bench during those game situations where we "know" that the team probably wants a time-out - i.e. when the other team goes on a run, or the team turns the ball over several times giving the other team momentum, etc. Many times as soon as I look over I see the coach requesting the time-out. Most times the players have not yet realized it yet and it would take extra effort on the coach's part to get his players' attention and have one of them call the time-out.

As Rut said - bottom line is that the onus falls on the coach. Simply saying, "Time out!" is not enough - from a player OR a coach, unless the official can clearly see who is requesting the time-out. If we simply make an effort to realize the situations where a team is likely to call a time-out I think that we avoid most problems.

[Back In The Saddle]

I was digging around the "Basketball Handbook" late last night looking through the rules changes over the years. The NFHS has been in the "fashion police" business for many, many years. The only thing I can figure is that they want to keep the game looking like "the game of basketball." Personally I think it's kind of silly, but I can definitely see how not regulating uniforms would lead to fashion chaos.

As for assessing a technical foul, I'm sure that it has occurred to the NFHS. They seem to have a real bent for "cracking down hard" on "heinous" offenses like this. Think about the swinging elbows and leaving the court. Unfortunately, you'd see even less enforcement if they made it a technical. Who wants to assess such a draconian penalty for a fashion faux pas? Sometimes I think the rules committee live on another planet.


As for the coach calling a time out, I really like the compromise position the committee floated: allow the coach to call a timeout only during a dead ball and stopped clock. That gives the coach more flexibility than if he couldn't call one, but keeps the official's focus on the floor. But I also agree with Junker that it's not too difficult to learn to glance at the bench at "the usual times" when timeouts are frequently wanted. I would also definitely support a rule change that requires a coach to request both verbally and visually. That would go a long way toward asuaging the bonehead coach who loses his temper because I didn't hear him calmly ask for a timeout during the heat of battle. Make him signal, and I won't have to suggest it to him after he didn't get the timeout he wanted.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Brad

How many times have we been standing next to the coach during a free throw at the end of a game and the coach says, "Ref, give me a time-out on the make." If the NFHS changed the rule, this would technically not be allowed.

Say what?

Technically, this isn't allowed and never has been allowed. The coach must still make the request after the FT is made.

You say "Fine, coach. Give me a request on the make".

[Brad]

Please - I really hope that you are kidding! What kind of game management is that? The coach makes the request, you acknowledge it, and give it to him if the free throw is made.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Brad

Please - I really hope that you are kidding! What kind of game management is that? The coach makes the request, you acknowledge it, and give it to him if the free throw is made.

Nope, not kidding at all.

We train our guys to call it by the rules. Keeps us all outa trouble.

And it has never been technically allowed under NFHS rules.....

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Brad

Please - I really hope that you are kidding! What kind of game management is that? The coach makes the request, you acknowledge it, and give it to him if the free throw is made.

Brad, I'm going to agree to agree with the Jurassic One on this point. I have always asked the coach to give me the request again after the make. Otherwise, there are so many things being done wrong; the TO is requested during a dead ball, but granted only after the ball has become alive, then dead again. In basketball terms, that's a long time later, and certainly not the way the rule is written. Or, what if A is shooting the FT, and it's B's coach asking for the TO to set up his last-shot offense - are you in effect granting a TO while the other team has the ball? What if the coach changes his mind because something else happens, and you stop play even though the coach now doesn't want the TO?

Now, all that said, I agree it's good game management to acknowledge the coach, but I've always asked them to verify the request after the made FT. Most of the time, all the coach has to do is nod their head, and I grant the TO. Once they've made me aware they will want that TO, I'll be aware of that coach, and they won't have to yell or jump in front of me to call it. It just seems as though there are more things that could go wrong if you don't do things "by the book".

[Brad]

To me, it gets us in more trouble when we handle things "technically" rather than recognizing game situations and using common sense. Making the coach jump through hoops by asking us again three seconds later, after the free throw is made, is pretty silly IMHO.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Michael Jordon started wearing a headband, and the NFHS responded with headband rules about single color, logo size, etc. .

Michael Jordon may have worn a headband but Micheal Jordan never did.

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by Brad

Please - I really hope that you are kidding! What kind of game management is that? The coach makes the request, you acknowledge it, and give it to him if the free throw is made.

I'm with Jurassic on this one. "OK coach, I'll be looking at you to request it if it goes in."

I've seen coaches change their mind at the last second and decide that they really don't want the time-out after all.

Z

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Brad

To me, it gets us in more trouble when we handle things "technically" rather than recognizing game situations and using common sense. Making the coach jump through hoops by asking us again three seconds later, after the free throw is made, is pretty silly IMHO.

Brad, sure glad that you fixed the "search" feature". Here's a good discussion....

Missed request. Two-man.

-edited to fix link...

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Brad

To me, it gets us in more trouble when we handle things "technically" rather than recognizing game situations and using common sense. Making the coach jump through hoops by asking us again three seconds later, after the free throw is made, is pretty silly IMHO.

99 times outta 100, it makes perfect sense. But, I don't agree it's making a coach jump through hoops to ask for the TO; in fact, we're giving him a break so he doesn't have to work extra hard to get our attention during that in-bounds play. It's just that 1 time out of 100 that will bite us in the butt if we let that become a habit. What if the coach asks us for the TO, then, while the ball's in the air, the assistant leans over and tells the head coach he's out of TO's. We blow the whistle, and it costs them a T, even though, at the moment he actually can request it, he didn't want it. So, what do you do then? Call it an inadvertant whistle? Then B's coach gets on your case because you just stopped their open fast break.

Again, I agree it's good management to be aware when a TO is coming. But, it still makes more sense to have them make the request when they actually can, by the rules.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Brad

To me, it gets us in more trouble when we handle things "technically" rather than recognizing game situations and using common sense. Making the coach jump through hoops by asking us again three seconds later, after the free throw is made, is pretty silly IMHO.

Brad,

I am going to have to disagree with you on this one. I am not giving a TO without the coach actually making the request at the proper time. I tell them, "You need to ask me when the shot goes." I do not want someone to think I gave him a break or that they did not ask. I have never had a problem with this application. It is kind of like when in baseball a coach tells you he will a half inning from now reenter the starter before he subs in a player. I let them know what they need to do and we move on. I have never had a problem with a coach telling them this.

Peace

[ChuckElias]

For what it's worth, I agree that you require the coach to make the request at the proper time.