Blarge--does it exist?
 

This is from a discussion being held over on the NFHS forum. This was posted by an official who calls himself Joe Advantage. It was in response to a poster asking how you should handle a classic "blarge"- i.e. one official calling a block and the other official calling a charge. It basically was the exact same play as outlined in case book play 4.19.8SitA.

Following are Joe Advantage's comments re: a blarge.

<i>It is impossible. Someone is wrong. Legal guarding position was obtained or it was not a block OR it's a charge. IT IS NOT BOTH. That's a BS call. It's the worst call in basketball anyone who calls it does the game a great dis-service. How hard is to say to the other official "well, I didn't have the best look or you may have had a better look or it was your primary". It's a BS call. A total cop-out and I have never called it in 18 years and will NEVER call it. Plus read what is legal guarding position and what is a charge and tell me HOW you can have both. Impossible. It's one or the other. The book only gives you an escape route. In this case you have two bonehead officials who won't agree that someone had a better view.
First, there is NO rule for a "blarge". There is only a "what to do" if you have it, a "what to do" if you have two separate calls and can't agree on one of them. There is NO rule, only a resolution, and it's the only listed resolution because the NFHS did not want to say - "the two officials will have to stand there at mid-court and argue who is correct until a decision as to whether it was a legal guarding position or not is decided by the two officials involved. Again "COP-OUT" and please show me in the rule book how you can have legal guarding position on a player at the same time. Impossible, it's just two people with contradicting calls.
The case book isn't "rules". The forward states "the interpretations and rulings...are official" but they are NOT rules. They are listed as "situations" and if two knuckleheads call a double foul in situation 4.19.8SitC that's how to rule it, but NOWHERE does it say that you HAVE to call a double foul. And I still say "Don't" because you cannot have a charge and a block between the same two players at the same time. It's one or the other. </i>

Those are JoeAdvantage's statements pretty much <i>verbatim</i>. Your comments? I'll hold mine until later.

I agree with him, but perhaps with a bit better use of paragraphs and maybe a little less repetition.

If I were ever to end up in a blarge situation, we certainly wouldn't come out with a double foul. I'd pretend I was working an NCAA-W game, if only for a moment.

But knock wood, it hasn't happened in 20 years, although earlier this year my partner and I both called a charge simultaneously by pointing down the floor. :)

I will hold my comments until yours. :D

How hard can it be to say "Well, you had a better look than me"??? I don't have a problem with that, but I know folks that do. And if they're working together, well, there you are. From the perspective of the NFHS, and the NCAA, it's that simple.

I also don't like anyone calling the call BS. But that's just part of my current campaign against vulgarity (on the board, Tony).

i agree with him -- you cannot have a block and a charge --

let me predict JR's response

"The rule states XYZ -- therefore XYZ"

rain -- he was calling the blarge BS -- which it is

Ahhh if I remember, I believe this is one of the first topics I posted on whenever I joined The Forum. As I recall, MTD Sr. and I agreed on this subject, but like Tom, I'm holding mine until I hear yours! ;)

I like it! I was always taught to hold the call as the outside official, and give it to the official the play is coming to. If there is some confusion and he defers to your look, make your call. Considering most of these calls happening in or near the paint.

I hope to never have to have a blarge in one of my games. Maybe cuz I'm chicken. I got lucky the other night, like Rich, where me and my part. both had a quick charge call, pointing and everything, in fact I was doing the nba thing and waving it off! woulda looked stupid if I was doing that and my partner had a block. I think I blew it quick, cuz it was an obvious charge. I had one later in the game which wasn't so obvious and I held for a split sec.

Call the "Blarge" and move on.:D

What an insightful and informative comment. Your wisdom and personal maturity come from where, pray tell? :rolleyes:

why can't you just agree with me all the time, like you agreed in another thread? :))

Why?:confused: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I certainly have mine, but that's just me and no one else. What I personally think should never be a factor in what anybody else thinks.

And I don't believe for a minute that anything I say will really have any affect on Tomegun's thinking either. :) He'll make up his own mind, never mind my view. And that's the way it should be.

I retract my earlier statement -- I now 100% agree with rain on all future and current threads...

I understand his views and believe that logically he has a point. However, once both officials signal, the proper rules must be followed. In that regard both Joe and Rich are totally wrong. What they advocate doing is directly contrary to this year's POE #5. It was written for people who have just those views.

Now, see how simple that is? :D

In return for your gracious contraction, I promise that if we ever work together, and have a double whistle on a block/charge, I'll let your call stand 100%. How's that?

Actually, I don't mind you disagreeing about the blarge. I just don't like the name-calling.

Please note that is is about what you do <b>after</b> a blarge has occurred. Iow, <b>after</b> both officials have already made conflicting signals.

That's what a blarge is.