Wild and crazy night
 

I had my third JV game, girls, yesterday. Big schools, in a big new gym (they are calling it an "arena" and that's fairly accurate). First half, fouls were V 1, H 8. The one came with about a minute-and-a-half left. After I noticed it was 7-0, I was aware that it would probably be good to find one soon, but there just wasn't anything there. The H coach was chirping a bit about it, and a lot about a play he wanted a travel on. It was two big strides for the layup, looked ugly, but definitely not a walk. I was feeling frustrated with the first half for these reasons. Then I passed on a T I probably should've called. The V coach, while leaving the floor at halftime, said to somebody else while looking at me, "They're screwing us." I snapped my head around and stared him down but didn't pull the trigger.

My partner (an experienced guy who used to do a lot of varsity but is in his upper 60s now and slowing down) and the varsity officials picked me up at half. They all had positive feedback for me, and the varsity guys both agreed the one play in question wasn't a travel. When I asked them about the coach's comment, they advised me to get away from the teams as they exit at the half, which I hadn't thought of but was good advice. I was moving from the lead on the end they were going to exit on to the table, so fairly close by their path.

Early in the third quarter, the V stretched the lead to 38-20. H went on a quick run and made it 38-28 by the end of the quarter. The margin stayed around 10 until the final 2 minutes. H forced a few turnovers and made three straight threes (the second a long one and the third was a chuck-it-in from 25) to make it 46-44. They fouled after the inbound with 8.9 seconds left, my call as the new trail. That meant I'd be trail after the FTs and have the last shot. It was pretty loud as the H team had most of the varsity crowd already there. Sure enough, the H missed both of the double bonus, and with no timeouts left, V raced to get a decent look at a three and a putback attempt (there was a little bump on the rebound but nothing I'd call a foul) that was in time but no good. I felt great about the second half and was especially proud that I bounced back after being frustrated in the first half, even if I shouldn't have been.

One question. During some FTs with about 30 seconds left, I heard somebody in the crowd screaming about how the clock didn't run for about 6 seconds. Nobody at the table was calling for us and neither coach was saying anything about it, so I dismissed it. However, according to the V assistant, there was a few seconds with the clock not running. Should I have gone to my partner (he was the R) or the table about it when I heard the fan freaking out?

The varsity game was entertaining as well. The H coach is notorious for paying far more attention to the officials than to coaching his team. I stayed for the whole thing, going into the locker room at half and after. In the first half, he snapped about an obvious back court; an errant pass that was run down by a teammate. He wasn't that far from the trail official who called it, and he started yelling about a tip by the opponents. According to the official, he said "you didn't have an angle on that" (which is funny, because if he couldn't see a tip, he has to call the backcourt, right?). The official responded with "And you did? You have the same angle as me! It is time for you to sit down and be quiet!" But no T.

V was up 3 at half, and the better team IMHO. But H went on a run, got up 7, and started giving it back slowly. Still up 40-38 with about 3:30 left, there was a held ball with both players on the floor. A couple seconds after the whistle, the H player gave a hard forearm to the V player still on the floor. Easy T. After the FTs and the possession, it was 42-40 V. V got the ball with 1:20 left 44-44, and held for one shot. (They have three excellent ball-handlers, one of the few girls' teams that could confidently hold it that long.) After a timeout with 12.2 left, they hit a jumper at about 3.0. H coach requested a timeout and got it right away. I thought 2.2 or 2.1 when I heard him yell. The clock stopped at 1.8, so no problem, right? Wrong. The H coach met the official reporting the timeout out on the floor screaming about putting time back up, and he got pinned. He probably should've been run, out on the floor in the ear of the other guy during the FTs, still animated. Afterward, they both agreed they could've and maybe should've tossed him.

All in all, it was a very interesting night. I definitely learned a couple things and I can't wait to get back out there.

Please explain why you feel you have to "find" a foul. I've read the rulebook and I can't find any place where it states the foul count must be even, or close.

After I noticed it was 7-0, I was aware that it would probably be good to find one soon, but there just wasn't anything there.


Try to always be cognizant of the team foul count 1-0, 2-0, etc. Don't let 7-0 creep up on you unexpectedly coach.


When I asked them about the coach's comment, they advised me to get away from the teams as they exit at the half, which I hadn't thought of but was good advice.

Excellent advice & standard procedure 'round here... we wait until both teams exit before we leave the court.


Should I have gone to my partner (he was the R) or the table about it when I heard the fan freaking out?

Umm I would say when administering the throw-in check the clock once you chop.

From a coaching standpoint, I hate it when officials have this type of mentality. If team A is driving to the basket and cutting hard, they most likely will get fouled far more than team B that settles for early long range jumpshots and do not crash the boards. Intentionally calling fouls to make the foul count even puts one team at an unfair disadvantage. A team that pressures, traps and scrambles will probably have more fouls on hand-checking and reaching type situations than a team that sits back in a soft zone.

on a similar note, if team A gets 4 steals for 4 breakaway layups, should team B be given 4 steals and layups to even it out??

Are you serious? Whointhehell cares about foul counts? Our job is to call the fouls. Period. If it's 7-0, why penalize the team that's playing good defense by trying to invent something to call against them? Call it fairly, equally and evenly..... and t'hell with trying to even things up.

Officiate the game, not the foul count.

From an officiating standpoint, I hate it when officials have this type of mentality also. And for exactly the same reasons that you listed.

Call the game the same at both ends and forget about trying to even things up.

As far as the fan freaking out...it's what they do. But, you probably want to make special note of the clock starting and stopping properly from there on out. BTW, if the clock wasn't running for several seconds, and neither you nor your partner noticed, there's no correction you can make.

I'm sorry Oh Great One, but whereinthehell did I say anything about "trying to invent something" or "trying TO even things up"???

All I said was be cognizant instead of all of sudden noticing it's 7-0.
Geez! You couldn't wait to jump in huh :D
Carry on board, I have games to go work.


a-b-c ya!

Great. Now explain exactly what's <b>wrong</b> about having a 7-0 foul count. Explain what difference it makes if you do have a 7-0 foul count, please.

Game management. If it's 7-0, you know to expect the coach to be frustrated, and why. If there's a borderline (not a ticky foul, one you could go either way on) foul by the 0 team, you call it.

And what do we do if we were cognizant earlier? What would we have done then?

Several questions:

Penn Coach said, "After I noticed it was 7-0, I was aware that it would probably be good to find one soon..." The response by several was that we NEVER should think it would be time to find one soon. Just call the game. And by the way he didn't say 7-0 was a surprise to him.

Q1. Why should I be cognizant of team fouls, if at all? Is there any good reason to have this information?

Q2. So, I am officiating like you said and cognizant of the team fouls. Your response about being cognizant says to me you are telling Penn Coach he should have started looking to find one on the other team earlier than he did. So, when should I start looking...2-0, 4-0?

Nothing. JR has said it plainly, just call the game.

I expected at least one coach to be frustrated when I left home, why is often anybodys guess.

I need some help with the explanation of what is a borderline foul, as opposed to a ticky foul. And I need a lot of help with how the foul count help you decide where to put one of these.