Last Two Minutes
 

This is part of my early season, or rookie partner, pregame conference:

Last Two Minutes

Near the end of the game, be aware of coaches calling time-outs and be sure to inform them after they have used all their time outs.

We’re not calling anything in the last two minutes if we haven’t already called it earlier in the game, unless it’s so blatant that it can’t be ignored. We don’t want our first illegal screen to be called with 30 seconds left in the game; but if the illegal screen puts a player into the first row of the bleachers, then we have to call it.

Let’s not put the whistles away in the last two minutes: That wouldn’t be consistent with the way we’ve been calling the game. If the game dictates it, let the players win or lose the game at the line. We don’t want to be the ones who decide the game by ignoring obvious fouls just to get the game over.

End of game strategic fouls: If the winning team is just holding the ball and is willing to take the free throws, then let’s call the foul immediately, so the ballhandler doesn’t get hit harder to draw a whistle. Let’s make sure there is a play on the ball by the defense. If there’s no play on the ball, if the defense grabs the jersey from behind, or if the ballhandler receives a bear hug, we should consider an intentional foul. These are not basketball plays and should be penalized as intentional.

No, my point was exactly the opposite. If he would not have called that light touch on the shorts a foul in the first quarter and would have instead allowed the team to have a 3 on 1 fastbreak, then he should also ignore the contact in the final minutes of the game.

Do not reward a team for doing something illegal.

If I keep making puns in this thread, I'll be a cereal punner.

Philz,

Rainmaker's response aside, I think you have heard the correct answer. I would certainly not call that a foul. But I would question whether or not there had been anything else in the game that led to the "head tackle." That's a pretty big leap, even for wreck ball.

Being wreck ball, the teams probably know each other and there may have been bad blood already. That happens. And wreck leagues are notorious for ***holes whose basic game philosophy includes the notion of "I'll show them!"

As I've matured as an official, I can now look back at games where trouble errupted and can usually identify places where I didn't recognize something was brewing and nip it in the bud. Normally, at least in men's ball, even if somebody does something stupid or outrageous, if it gets called right away, the "victim" will usually let it go. But if "things" don't get called, frustration starts to build. Even if it appears that two guys are going at each other pretty much equally, and nobody is gaining an advantage, you probably have frustration building on at least one person's part. You need to set the accepted level of physicality, not the players. I knew that I was on the right track when I started calling some fouls early just to clean up play, and the guy getting fouled would thank me. He hadn't necessarily shown that he was unhappy with what had been going on at the time, but his response made it clear that he was.

Just my $0.02

Just keep milking it, will you?

In my area's wreck games, there are less and less officials available becauase of the BS that goes on.

I think not calling the foul was the correct call. I also think that the action that caused the benches to empty is a flagrant foul. I also think that I'm phoning the assignor when I get home and tell them to find someone else. That's my suggestion.

If you still wish to do these games, don't back down on being the referee you're supposed to be. They'll respect you more in the end for not being a pushover. An attempt to foul by brushing the shirt with fingertips is not a foul.

Yep, clearly this team doesn't understand how to correctly make strategic fouls. That is what it really comes down to.

You are correct, I read the question way to fast, on a fast break I would ignore the contact too.

End of game situation you know the team behind is going to foul to stop the clock. No need to discuss this with the Coach. There's "physical contact in basketball" If contact gives a player an advantage call the foul. Whether I would call a foul in the situation you described depends depends on how physical the game was. If it was a hack fest I would probably call it to keep the game under control. If it wasn't I probably would have let them play on. There's no reason for you to discuss at any time why you did or did not call a foul.

If your brave (or foolish) enough to do men's leagues Tee early (let them no you mean business) and late to send the same message to the two teams waiting to play the next game. Never do mens leagues where there is not adequate supervision.

Okay, maybe I mis read Nevada's post. But, yea, it would be an intentional foul in the first half. contact designed to stop the clock. That's an intentional regarless of the severity of the contact, and regardless of the time in the game. Seems pretty cut and dried to me.

Are we talking about apricots now? :confused: