End of game "let them play"

[ABO77]

At the end of a game a commonly heard philosophy is to "let the guys play". Just wondering if you guys change the way you call the game at the end...esp a close good game?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by ABO77

At the end of a game a commonly heard philosophy is to "let the guys play". Just wondering if you guys change the way you call the game at the end...esp a close good game?

I"m not a guy, and I'm on leave of absence this year, but I'm glad to answer your question. I don't. Sometimes, in a blow-out, at a lower level of play, I'll sort of "redefine" some of the violations a tiny bit, and I"ll lean a little more heavily on A/D for fouls. But these are very minor adjustments, and I certainly don't let anything obvious go. especially a close good game.

[JugglingReferee]

Generally, I officiate the 1st quarter the same as the 4th.

I only change things up a bit for odd situations such:

• one team hasn't scored yet
• I need to change the point spread so that my bet on the game wins

[BillyMac]

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.

[mick]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Generally, I officiate the 1st quarter the same as the 4th.

I only change things up a bit for odd situations such:

• one team hasn't scored yet
• I need to change the point spread so that my bet on the game wins

Not funny.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by AB077

At the end of a game a commonly heard philosophy is to "let the guys play". Just wondering if you guys change the way you call the game at the end...esp a close good game?

Originally Posted by rainmaker

I"m not a guy, and I'm on leave of absence this year, but I'm glad to answer your question. I don't. Sometimes, in a blow-out, at a lower level of play, I'll sort of "redefine" some of the violations a tiny bit, and I"ll lean a little more heavily on A/D for fouls. But these are very minor adjustments, and I certainly don't let anything obvious go. especially a close good game.

You don't change the way you call, but you do those things differently?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by just another ref

You don't change the way you call, but you do those things differently?

I do adjust the way I call, but not very much change and not very often.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Last Two Minutes
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.

So the only time you call something that's blatant is in the last two minutes? Huh?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

So the only time you call something that's blatant is in the last two minutes? Huh?

... unless he called it earlier in the game? like he said? in his post?? hello??

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by ABO77

At the end of a game a commonly heard philosophy is to "let the guys play". Just wondering if you guys change the way you call the game at the end...esp a close good game?

A close game, no way. We're working hard to make sure we're consistent with what we've called all game and trying hard not to miss anything.

In a blowout game that just needs to end, especially the last two minutes...as long as the game stays under control, I'm gonna swallow my whistle some. I'm not going to "let 'em play," which is usually code for letting them beat the hell out of each other. But I'm going to limit "game interrupters" to only what absolutely must be called.

[Adam]

Had a newer guy work with me last weekend, and on the ride hime he mentioned a previous game where his partner called a late foul he disagreed with. He then proceeded to mention his end-of-game-let-them-play theory. Our other partner and I quickly shot that down. My thought, which I've probably plagiarized from here:
If you let a foul go that you've been calling all game, just because you don't want to decide the game as an official, you've decided the game with your inaction.

[chartrusepengui]

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 look at it the other way and try to be consistent so what's a foul in the 1st Qtr is a foul in the 4th Qtr. If there is enough contact that we blow a whistle in the early part of a game - that same contact should bring a whistle with 1 minute remaining. I believe that if you don't call a game this way you are inviting trouble. Play becomes rough and thats when officials think they suddenly have to "clamp down". If they would call the game consistently - the players would adjust.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

So the only time you call something that's blatant is in the last two minutes? Huh?

We're always going to make a call on a blatant foul. But there are some calls that we're NOT going to make in the last two minutes -- unless they're blatant.

Better?

[mick]

Originally Posted by Scrapper1

We're always going to make a call on a blatant foul. But there are some calls that we're NOT going to make in the last two minutes -- unless they're blatant.

Better?

I do not believe you officiate that way.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by mick

I do not believe you officiate that way.

I absolutely do. You think the first 3-seconds call of the night is going to be in the last 45 seconds of a 4 point game? No way -- unless it's blatant. He's been in there for 5 seconds and ignored a couple warnings and then gets the pass.

You think I'm calling the first illegal screen of the game in the last 2 minutes? No way. We've clearly let the borderline screens go all game. I'm going to call one now? Uh-uh. If there's a blatant illegal screen that bumps a guy 5 feet off the court to free up the shooter, then I'm grabbing that one.