1st time - I changed a call
 

I do not remember ever changing a call after I made it except on an OOB with observations from a partner. Last night was an exception. Here's what happened.

Mens rec 35 & older - NFHS rules with some modifications on fast breaks. First night of a new season and I am working by myself because there just aren't enough officials to cover all the games tonight. I have been doing this league for many years so I know most of the players and their tendencies.

Second half - A1 shoots a jumper from the top of the key, misses, and goes for the rebound along with B1. The rebound comes straight back and long so both players are facing me as I have assumed a trail position. B1 in an attempt to get the ball looses his balance and makes contact with A1 throwing him off balance also. A1 grabs B1's shirt with both hands on his way down to the floor and appears to me to add a little extra tug as they both hit the deck.

I call a flagrant on A1 for body slamming B1. He protests adamantly, but does not scream or curse, saying he was under cut by B1 and grabbed him on the way down as a natural reaction to break his fall. I move away from the players to report to the scorer as A1 gathers his stuff and starts to leave the gym.

As I am gathering my thoughts and getting a shooter for free throws, players from both teams approach me saying they thought I missed the call and there was no intent to do harm to B1. To this point in the game, worked things have been going quite smoothly and I have been letting players call there own out of bounds if I didn't have a good look with great results and no auguments.

To make a long story short, I decide to change the foul to an intentional, ask both teams if anyone has any objection to A1 remaining in the game (There are none) administer the free throws and continue the game with no further incidents.

After the game both teams and the league supervisor commented that the outcome of the play was handled correctly in their opinion.

I can guess some of the responses and conclusions many of you are coming to such as::rolleyes:
1. Never second guess yourself.
2. Stay as far away from rec ball as you can.
3. This positively wasn't done by rule.
4. You should control the game, not the players.
5. etc. etc.
But this is rec ball and I feel I can take a little license with situations like these.

The responses I am looking for are stories of how you may have had situations like this one, and thinking you may have over reacted or missed something, softened or changed the call.

Since I am familiar with you, most of the players in that league, and your supervisor, I would say you handled it correctly. It's rec league and most of those guys are friends off the court. Doing a game by yourself isn't easy so this is a situation that calls for some deviation from the rulebook.

ranjo,

I think you did well. I too have done rec ball for years and know how difficult it is do referee by yourself. I think that your doing the league for quite some time and the respect the players have for you helped the situation.

Kudos for changing the call. From your description, it very much sounds like the right thing to do.

Good decision. From your description of the play, I was not even thinking flagrant. Intentional I can buy....or even a common foul since, as was mentioned, it was may have been more of a reflex to grab the shirt to keep from falling.

Well done. Not everyone can get away with making this change, but it sounds like it worked well for you. IMO, it will help your credibility with these guys in the future.

I have a question about this initial contact from B1 against A1. Was there a foul involved here? And if there was, wouldn’t that mean that the ball is dead before the shirt grabbing contact by A1? Would this have any effect on the type of foul against A1? Not questioning anyone here. Just curious.

It sounds like ranjo ruled the initial contact to be incidental; fairly common in loose ball/rebound situations. If, however, he had called this a foul, then yes, it would affect how the following foul was called. it would have to then be either technical or nothing.

Thanks, Snaq. Thought that might be the case.

I questioned myself about this also, but in the course of action it was considered incidental. From my angle the contact did not cause the resulting action as both players were off balance to start with.