question from a layman
 

I attended a tournament this past weekend in Texas, a major high stakes event. As with all games each team’s supporters cheered the calls for their team while vocalizing against the calls against their team. As a parent supporting one of the teams I typically give the officials the benefit of the doubt. I am not a very vocal parent I just don't want anyone to get hurt when/if the game gets out-of-hand.

This game was not being called correctly. I note this with some certainty as I was sitting near three licensed officials who were themselves appalled with the calls to the point of vocalizing corrections and suggestions to the court officials. I do not know all the technical aspects of officiating, but I was made aware of the areas of the floor each official is responsible for and that the officials were apparently calling fouls out of their areas. I digress.

The point everything came to light about a possible problem with officiating was when one of our players fouled out, late in the third quarter, the first time that ever happened all season. Our coach tried to take the thirty seconds he was entitled to at that point when the official stated that this was "Not a NCAA game". The official was told that the tournament was being run according to a specific rule book that noted a team has thirty seconds after a member fouls out to make changes. He was completely unaware that the tournament was following that book.

My issues are that the official was allowing hard fouls where it is a miracle that no one got hurt, that he did not even know the book the tournament was following which could explain the bad calls, and that as our team was fighting back closing the point gap our top scorers fouled out because of this one officials calls.

What recourse does a spectator have? Official protests will be filed, but what can a parent do? I understand that the officials are human and make mistakes, but this same official made calls that “robed” another team of a win according to the same three officials I noted earlier.
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You have two choice:

1. Become part of the solution, and not part of the problem by taking a class, buying a kit, taking the test and becoming an official
2. Sit down and shut up.;)

Spectators have NO rights with regards to officials.

What can a parent do? Learn some damn sportsmanship and just sit there and watch the damn game.

Whatinthell age were these players anyway to have a <b>HIGH STAKES</b> game? What were the <b>high stakes</b>? Money? 40 lashes to the losers?

Btw, those 3 0fficials that you're talking about showed a complete lack of integrity and shouldn't actually be called "officials". They're low-rent fanboys.

Lah me, just like clockwork.......

:(
Your three licensed officials should be reprimanded. First and second year officials have no business vocalizing their discontent with the court officials. Anyone with more experience would know better.
This is just a guess, but I'm guessing these were NCAA refs doing a high school game. It happens [shrug]
NonePull your kid out of the game. That's it.My guess is these three officials don't know what the he!! they're talking about.

Understand and accept the fact that basketball is a contact sport.

As Ignats said, either suit up or sit down.

BTW, can I just add how much it irritates me when "liscenced officials" sit up in the stands together and pick apart their fellow officials' games so everyone can hear? Criticize and critique to eachother if you like, and offer up suggestions and constructive criticism to the working officials after the game, but keep it within the circle, man. This kind of stuff is just showing off for the fans. Ridiculous.