The phrase "no call."

[Beemer]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

With all due respect gentlemen, you are all making my point. If you decide not to put air in the whistle, you are telling everyone that nothing illegal has happened. One of the first things I learned as as basketball official is that you have nothing (meaning the play was legal) until you have something (meaning the play was illegal) and that you have something you put air in the whistle.

Mark, you never touch on the term advantage. Thats where the idea of a 'no call' comes from. Just because there is no whistle on a play, does not mean there was no illegal action. It does mean (in cases) that the illegal action did not affect the play.

Situations:

• Whistle on an illegal action deemed to affect play = a good call
• Whistle on a legal play = a bad call
• No whistle on an illegal action deemed to not affect play = a good no call
• No whistle on an illegal play deemed to affect play = a bad no call