Last second foul

[rookieofficial]

Well I did it I called a last second foul in a tie game. The foul was pretty obvious and I felt it affected the shot. What should we do in this situation.

[crew]

shoot 2

[rookieofficial]

In hindsight should I have called the foul?

[paulis]

Do you want to be known as an official that only works most of the game? Work the entire game and make the call regardless of when it occurs. And make sure you did not leave your bag or jacket at the score table so that you can get out quickly if necessary!

[bigwhistle]

rookie,

You were being paid to officiate the entire game, not just the first 31 minutes and 50 seconds (assuming 8 minute quarters). You stated that the foul was obvious. If you are thinking that you cheated the team that you called it against because the other team was able to shoot a free throw to win, what do you think the team that won would have thought if you had passed on the foul because time was about to expire. They would feel as if they had been cheated.

Since both teams were going to feel cheated, you might as well go ahead and do the proper thing...CALL THE FOUL!

[williebfree]

This is were impartiality becomes parimount. You are only reacting to the actions of the players.

I had a 8th grade tourney game this weekend with teams from the opposite ends of the state (Both teams had traveled at least 2 1/2 hours to play.) "Red" had a talented, sizeable (5' 7") point guard, #23, who played very aggresively and at times out of control. She committed 2 pushing fouls early and then settled until the middle of the 2nd quarter. She then drove to the hoop with reckless abandon and plowed the stationary defender. Tweet, PC, Blue ball. "Red" Coach pulls her for the remainder of the first half.

Second half, first possession after the throw-in, #23 rushes in for a rebound that has already been garnered by the opponent and creates a collision. Tweet, foul.

Coach leaves her in. Within 2:30 minutes of play in the 3rd quarter #23 picks up her fifth foul as she does one of those "Swipes" at the ball (Smacking the arms) on the opponent as she is driving in for a lay-up.

To this point the score is close, 23-21. However, as everyone in the building could predict, "Blue" collapsed after #23's departure. We as officials did not decide the outcome of the game the players and coach's choices did.

My point: You make the calls that are necessary. It is the player's responsibility to know and play within the rules.

[Mark Padgett]

When an official "passes" on a foul late in a game because it "didn't cause reconstructive surgery", the cliche is that he did it because he didn't want to decide the outcome of the game. As we have discussed many times before here, exactly the opposite is true.

In basketball, as in most team sports, there are certain attributes that give one player an advantage over another. These include speed, strength, size, brains, basic skill, etc. When a player has an advantage over another because of one or more of these, that player is to be rewarded. Here's what I mean:

All night long, A1 has beaten B1 off the dribble. The only way B1 can stop him is to grab him a little as he goes by. You and your partner have called this a foul all game. Now there is one minute left and the score is tied. A1 does the same thing he's done all game and B1 does the same thing he's done, too. You let this one go because it wasn't a "hard" foul. Now - who is really deciding the outcome of the game, you or the players? Of course, you are. A1 deserves to be rewarded for his superior speed and you have negated that. You have rewarded B1 for being slower. That is flat out wrong.

I don't think there is anything I despise more in a partner than one who subscribes to the "must be a hard foul in the last two minutes for me to call it" philosophy when it results in his passing on fouls he called earlier.

When I have a guy like that, after the game I make him look at his pants, then I puke on his shoes. Oh wait - that's on the other board

BTW - I have done clinics on the philosophy that a referee's job is to make sure the better team wins. But that's another post for another day.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
When an official "passes" on a foul late in a game because it "didn't cause reconstructive surgery", the cliche is that he did it because he didn't want to decide the outcome of the game. As we have discussed many times before here, exactly the opposite is true.

In basketball, as in most team sports, there are certain attributes that give one player an advantage over another. These include speed, strength, size, brains, basic skill, etc. When a player has an advantage over another because of one or more of these, that player is to be rewarded. Here's what I mean:

All night long, A1 has beaten B1 off the dribble. The only way B1 can stop him is to grab him a little as he goes by. You and your partner have called this a foul all game. Now there is one minute left and the score is tied. A1 does the same thing he's done all game and B1 does the same thing he's done, too. You let this one go because it wasn't a "hard" foul. Now - who is really deciding the outcome of the game, you or the players? Of course, you are. A1 deserves to be rewarded for his superior speed and you have negated that. You have rewarded B1 for being slower. That is flat out wrong.

I don't think there is anything I despise more in a partner than one who subscribes to the "must be a hard foul in the last two minutes for me to call it" philosophy when it results in his passing on fouls he called earlier.

When I have a guy like that, after the game I make him look at his pants, then I puke on his shoes. Oh wait - that's on the other board

BTW - I have done clinics on the philosophy that a referee's job is to make sure the better team wins. But that's another post for another day.

Mark,excellent post!I couldn't agree more.