Girls v Boys

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Larks

So - there it is.....discuss. Are you able to choose? Would you want to choose? Do you agree with the premise that you can be good at one generally but not both?

I will put it this way. In the area I live, it is easier to get a varsity girl's game than it is to work a boy's varsity game. Usually the younger officials will get many more varsity girl's games or opportunities than Boy's opportunities. Or many of the officials that work girl's basketball are older and on the down side of their career. These are not my words; this is what many officials tell people why they work girl’s basketball. Of course there are solid officials that work both, but and do so with very little problems. The reason I do not work girl's basketball is mainly because I call a pure advantage/disadvantage game which seems to get me in a lot of trouble on the girl's side. The expectation on the girl's side does not like the same kind of contact. If a girl goes to the floor, someone really gets upset if there is not a foul called. If the same thing happens on the boy's side, they get upset if you make a call just because someone went to the floor (talking in general of course). So for me and many others it is not very easy to transition.

Peace

[blindzebra]

The games are different, how I work them isn't.

It still comes down to judgment and advantage/disadvantage.

I find that far too many officials approach the girls game with the attitude that I wouldn't call this in a boys game, but I better in a girls game before they even see the play through...let them play and what you find is that the girls play better when you let them play the same way you do the boys.

[Johnny Ringo]

To me, and it is my opinion, basketball is basketball. To my best guess, in 16 years of calling high school ball, it is close to 50/50 for me when it comes to boys and girls games.

I honestly feel that a good official, or one who is confident in their abilty to watch a game and understand what is a foul, what is a violation and what is taking place on the court - could call any game. How about a co-ed game? Could you work a game like that and simply look at the players, as if they were a basketball player and not male or female?

Could you determine if the male gained an advantage on the female? Or if the female was in LGP when the male made a move into the lane.

This has been an interesting read, that's for sure.

If I leaned one way, I would have to say the girls game may be a bit tougher to call - but not by much - simply because you have a few more awkward athletes ... but, basketball is basketball and the rule book is about A1, A2, B1 or B2 and not men and women.