FIBA World Championships
 

I wanted to start a thread to see if anyone else is watching the games. Also any comments about the officiating?

This is the 1st time that FIBA is using three-person crews for a World Championship. It should help the quality of officiating, but I've seen some unusual calls already. The officiating is not near NBA or NCAA Division I but I think it is getting better all the time. Notice how the lead official is constantly in the close down position. I believe this is how FIBA teaches the mechanic.

In the USA-Puerto Rico game, the timekeeper was not very good. In the last two minutes of the 4th quarter, the clock stops with every field goal. There were times when the clock did not stop at all and there were other times when it was stopping 4 or 5 seconds longer than necessary. My son who is timekeeper from to time was amazed that these types of inconsistencies could occur at a tournament of this magnitude. Welcome to FIBA basketball.

The USA-Italy match on Wednesday should be interesting.

thought i was only 1 who noticed the clock

It is horrible. Yeah the guys get in close down, but they never rotate. The calls on the plays to the basket are decent at best, mainly because the slot is being left with the daunting task of officiating "the lone ranger play", or the lead is NOT at close down and calling across the lane. The chucking of the cutters, the re-routes, impedes and body checks by the defender on the dribbler is horribly officiated. Arroyo and Chris paul were just knocking the crap out of each other in the USA vs. Puerto Rico game. Post play was called way to loose. Defenders running the post player up the line with a forearm in the back or a knee in the butt. Positioning of the slot 90% of the time was bad. I have seen the slot diving down on plays instead of getting topside, and when the slot is off ball, he is too close to the sideline, too perpendicular, and too low.

Ah, come on now, don't hold back and tell us how you really feel. :D

I'm not an expert in three-person mechanics, and I'm not going to comment about that.

I obviously watched the games of the Italian team. In the first one (against China) the crew managed to have a triple whistle.

Yesterday in Italy-Slovenia I saw a couple of patently wrong block call, but we all know this happens anyway.
They had a "blarge" as well, with very poor communication between the lead and trail official. The latter indeed blew his whistle without giving the "stop clock" signal and immediately showing a player control foul. Meanwhile, his colleague had already made a clear "blocking" on-the-spot signal.

If I am not mistaken this is the first year FIBA is using the 3 Person mechanics in the World Championships or the Olympics. I am sure many of these guys might not work a lot of 3 Person. I could be wrong about that, but that is what it looks like when I have watched the games.

Peace

I watched Turkey vs. Lithuania. Good game....play was rough, off-ball and on-ball, but it was called the same at both ends. The officiating, while not being what I'd call "good", wasn't really a factor in the game. That's good enough for me.

I'd rather watch a FIBA game than an WNBA game. :D

I officiate under FIBA rules, FIBA started 3P officiating after the Athens Olympics 2004, but actually some European & American countries had used it since 2000. I watched yesterday's game France vs. Nigeria, two officials were T, one was L, I just thought this was lack of eye contacts between the officials. But anyway, FIBA offcials are good, and the officials who officiates the world championships games are selected from part of the countries around the world.

I've seen a triple whistle in the NBA before. In fact, more than one.

What is your point?

Was that in the free throw circle? haa!

If we have a play that is just inside the free throw line a triple whistle is not uncommon.

The only european refs who are used to 3 man is probably the euroleuge refs, and there arn't many of those around :p

Are those the guys that wear those hidous orange shirts?

I think the officials are very consistent. All the games I've watched have had a nice flow and have been enjoyable to watch.

I don't totally agree with the consistency statement. There are times when they are and when they are not. That is with any game, but as far as flow, no way. They have fouls on marginal plays to the basket all the time i.e. cheap AND 1's. That in itself causes for no flow. They are calling fouls on rebounding plays when the team who was in the position for the rebound got the rebound, once again adding to a flowless game.

When I watch a game I rarely watch the game itself. I am almost always watching the refs and 80% of the time I am watching off ball. The refs have to eliminate the let 'em play mentality and referee with a "referees set the tempo" mentality especially on off ball plays and handchecking up top. By calling these plays fouls we open up the game for more freedom of movement and hence more plays to the basket, more scoring, and all in all a better game for the players and the fans.

Do you have anything positive to offer?

Yeah. Thank God Bill Kennedy and Marc Davis are working some of the FIBA games. Maybe they can pass some of their knowledge on to the others about 3 man mechanics.

Don't think I am a totally negative person because I am not. While I respect all officials at all and every level, I have not been pleased at all with one aspect of officiating of any of the FIBA refs. I don't blame them either. I don't think they have the knowledge that we have over here in the states about the 3 man crew, but with Bill and Marc over there, and with the help of a translator maybe they can help out a little bit with their judgement, with their signals looking more believeable and their overall professional apperance.

Someone please tell me I am not the only one seeing this?

Are you sure about that? I'm certainly not, but those are not the guys listed on the website for the FIBA WC.
http://www.fiba2006.fiba.com/pages/e...rchStr=referee


Does anyone know of a place that is publishing which refs are working, or have worked, which games?

Yep, those arn't exactly the best looking ref shirts I know :/

Hmmmm.....looks like Eddy F. Rush from the NBA is moonlighting at the Worlds.

Fernanzo?:)

Wonder how the FIBA evaluators rate him compared to some of their other guys.....

I'm watching a little of the US/Italy game this morning. The officiating doesn't seem too bad. A missed travel, a questionable no-call on a block/charge. But those happen every game, not just to FIBA guys. I have noticed it get a little rough off-ball. On one FT, an Italian player threw 3 consecutive elbows into the US players back, while the shooter still had the ball and the official didn't even talk to them.

Bill Kennedy was working the exhbition games in Asia before the World championships.

I believe Terry Moore and Ed Rush are the two Americans at the Worlds. BTW, Mike Homsy is the only Canadian at the event. I have not found any place to see who is working which game.