2-person Long-Switching

[HawkeyeCubP]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

Sorry. Somebody had mentioned that there are times in 3-whistle when nobody switches, even when we're staying in the frontcourt. I was merely pointing out that there's a good reason for that. Just as there's a good reason for switching in 2-whistle. They are different reasons, but they're good reasons for their respective systems. That was my only point.

I appreciate what you're saying, Scrapper, I just don't see agree with the logic behind that reasoning. I don't agree with either part of the argument:

1. "It significantly reduces the chances of the same official calling a consecutive foul on the same player."

1.A. The idea that one official is more likely enough to call the next foul on the same player - which, if we're going strictly by primaries, as it sounds, is only reduced by 17% in 3-person (and this doesn't take into acccount secondaries, good foul calls out-of-area, and the fact that players actually operate, even in the most basic of set offenses, in more than one primary, even in 2-person). So a 17% reduction in the chance of me calling a consecutive foul on the same player, minus some more percent for calls outside one's primary, minus some more percent for the fact that players and even man-to-man match-ups move between primaries, is not, in my opinion, a significant reduction.

1.B. Who cares if I call another foul on the same player. You want the game called consistently? There it is. Same illegal contact by same player = same foul call. Doesn't get more consistent than that. With all NFHS switching last Friday, I called 2 and 3 fouls against each team's best players in the paint, respectively, in the first half. Did anyone think I was out to get these players? Not that I heard, know of, or care about. It happens.

2. "It gives the officials a 'fresh look' at things." Moot argument, because we don't do arbitrary switching in 3-person. If that was the rationale behind this mechanic (switching after calling a foul as trail), the mechanic for the opposite in 3-person would not be in place.

Again - Scrapper - not ranting at you - just ranting.