Anyone read that article in the March edition of Referee Mag called "Moment of Truth". I had one that slipped by me this week in a rec game. The article said that basically in every game there is a moment of truth where YOU can help keep a game from sliding into one big mess.

Mine was Wednesday when I was working an 11th / 12th grade rec game. 3 min into the game A1 grabbed a board and then when B1 approached, A1 created unnecssary contact by lowering his shoulder to in effect push him away. Moment of truth. Since it was rec, you have probably guessed correctly that B1 retailated with some body back. Did we spiral from there...you bet. I should have called PC on A1 right away. I didnt. I froze. It's been on my mind all week too even though it was Rec. Of course I called the retaliation but it was on from there. 20 fouls and 2 ejections for fighting later we finished our wrestling errr basketball game.

Any moment of truth stories out there? What did you do or not do?

Larks - VIT

BasketBrawl
 

Here in Ohio we call it BasketBrawl. The 11th and 12th rec games are the ones that no one wants to do, but I always take a few. I'm not sure if the moment of truth is when I decide to get out of my car and walk into the gym, or if it happens at some point in the game, but most of these guys are not interested in playing basketball, and most of the coaches have not coached before. I do these games to practice my game management, and keeping control. It accomplishes that, but not much more.

In my area, we have a HS rec league in a neighboring town. There are two high schools in the town and they hate each other (not uncommon). The problem is - each team is made up exclusively of boys from one school or the other, and they are mostly seniors who just finished football season.

They figure since their HS football careers are now over, they have nothing to lose by taking out their frustrations on guys from the other school. Whenever the game involves one team from each school, it's really hockey.

I guess you can say the "Moment of Truth" in these games is the opening tip.

I don't think I've ever done one of these without at least 4 kids fouling out and at least one ejection.

I didn't read the article but I know exactly what you are talking about. I called mens' rec league on Barksdale AFB for a couple years. We had one of those moments in almost every game. Sometimes we refs recognized them for what they were. Sometimes not. If a game wants to gravitate to that level, it's hard to turn the tide with just a whistle unless you pull a MP and get 26 T's per quarter ;)

I do some adult and older rec ball which we call "Goofball". With the men, they usually are looking for us to keep things under control. If we dont, they will. Have to get it early and the earlier, the better.

Around here, we refer to men's leagues as "jerkball". I might have to stop calling it that however, since my son Josh just signed up to play in one of those and his first game is this weekend.

I wonder if he'll get any Ts?

Bet on it.