The "And 1"

[SeanFitzRef]

As I have been moving up the ladder, the line of thinking that I have been presented with on this topic is that a varsity, college, and\or pro ref has to make a decision based on what they can pass on, not what they should call. This way, the game flows more.

There might be contact on a pass and crash, but the ball was thrown out of bounds. Save the foul, award the ball out of bounds to team B. Keep playing.

A1 running on a break; B1 comes in late and tries to stop the layup. B1 reaches in and fouls A1 as A1 passes ahead to A2 for the dunk/layup. Do you call B1's foul or let it go for the two points that A got?

Ultimately, teams want to score. Incidental contact is part of the game, and all contact is not necessarily a foul. The decisions that are made by us can make or break a game, but each individual ref has his/her own philosophy about what they should and shouldn't call. Our assignors also carry a heavy influence on what we should and shouldn't call, and we have to appease them in order to continue to move up the ladder. So work with it.

[SWMOzebra]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

To me, if the contact makes the shot significantly more difficult, it's a foul whether the ball goes in or not. Frankly, I often don't know whether the shot falls or not (I pregame this with my partners) because after the whistle I'm watching the players. What constitutes "significant" is going to change with the level of play, and is for me to judge.

Exact same philosophy as a newbie myself...and I've no called some beauties that may have been grounds for misdemeanor assaults. I never look up at the ball, I rely on the trail to tell me if the shot went in. Especially in very close and emotionally charged games, I think the lead should have his eyes on the players in the paint until he's ready to move tableside and report. Too much opportunity for shenanigans. Bottom line, more experienced officials than I have given this sage advise: judge the advanatage/disadvantage each time, regardless of score, foul counts, fan's reactions or coach's stupidity.