The Toughest Calls in Basketball

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

That's easy - it's the false double multiple non-contact personal technical foul during a dead ball with the coach out of the box and a timer's error combined with basket interference during a free throw by the non-shooting team in double overtime when the visiting team has their captain wearing a hard brace.

I mess that one up all the time. But I do get icing correct most of the time as well as a balk.

DAMN - where's those meds???

Mark:

Your play is easy to call I would expect my first year students to make that call. The most difficult call I find is whether to have Italian or Chinese for dinner after the game.

MTD, Sr.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

The most difficult call I find is whether to have Italian or Chinese for dinner after the game.
MTD, Sr.

Huh, I usually have food.

[JRutledge]

I think handling bench decorum is by far the thing that separates the best official from the guy who cannot stop working JH games. This part is so subjective and changes from one game to another and sometimes one quarter to another. Block/Charge are often easy, traveling is one of the most difficult calls to make as well, but nothing compares to how you handle coaches and players in very confrontational and difficult situations.

Peace

[Old School]

I think the toughest call to make in basketball is the right call. When you know something just happened but because you where in transistion, got straight-lined, or somebody just stepped in front of you. You can't guess, either you saw the disadvantage or you got a no-call. Sometimes a no-call is the best call. Sometimes there can be contact on the play and it's not a foul. Sometimes the player can step out of bounds, but because you didn't see it, you got no call, even if the entire gym saw it. Getting the right call is not as easy as you think.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Old School

I think the toughest call to make in basketball is the right call.

Well, that's getting specific, isn't it...

[Adam]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Well, that's getting specific, isn't it...

Well, it is tough to make the right call when you don't know the right rules.

[Old School]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Well, it is tough to make the right call when you don't know the right rules.

And there are so many rules

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Old School

I think the toughest call to make in basketball is the right call. When you know something just happened but because you where in transistion, got straight-lined, or somebody just stepped in front of you. You can't guess, either you saw the disadvantage or you got a no-call. Sometimes a no-call is the best call. Sometimes there can be contact on the play and it's not a foul. Sometimes the player can step out of bounds, but because you didn't see it, you got no call, even if the entire gym saw it. Getting the right call is not as easy as you think.

Old School:

Let me let you in on a little secret. If you did not see it you cannot call it.

MTD, Sr.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I think handling bench decorum is by far the thing that separates the best official from the guy who cannot stop working JH games. This part is so subjective and changes from one game to another and sometimes one quarter to another. Block/Charge are often easy, traveling is one of the most difficult calls to make as well, but nothing compares to how you handle coaches and players in very confrontational and difficult situations.

Agree with that completely. It's almost impossible to make hard and fast rules on how you'd handle a certain situation without actually being there and being able to exercise your own judgment. Every coach and player is different, and so is every situation. You just do what you feel is right for that particular play at that particular time in that particular game. The officials that can adjust and defuse these situations instead of throwing gas on the fire are usually the ones that are going onward and upward.

There's a time to be a hardazz and there's also a time to turn a little bit of a blind eye. The better officials can recognize those times.