Ever go a long time without calling a foul?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I have run the gamut. I had a women's D-I game a number of years ago (it was some time shortly after the center jump after every field goal) between the University of Miami (the one in Coral Gables, Florida) and Florida International University where we had 56 fouls. I had a boys' H.S. varsity game in Ohio one year where we had sixty (60) fouls including 24 (yes, you read the correctly) in the fourth quarter; suprisingly, we had no TF's and one intentional PF. I remember one boys' H.S. freshmen game where I called the first nine (9) fouls of the game and eleven (11) of the first twelve (12).

On the other hand I had a women's D-III game where the first fouled was called with just over six minutes in the first half (I had a charge, PC, against the home team; we finished with the foul total of four (4) against the Home team and one (1) against the Visitor's and the HC-H was complaining that we were homering him on his own court, . And finally, in the third place game of the 1993 AAU Women's National Championship (three-person crew), I called one foul and blew my whistle exactly three (3) times (one foul and two out of bounds call) in the first half. Of course my first whistle in the second half was for a foul four (4) seconds into the half which meant I switched form the T to the C opposite the table (back then we did not have rotation mechanics and the person who called the foul went to the C opposite the Scorer's Table. And exactly four seconds after my foul call the T called another foul so he could go back to the C position, .

Of course, whenever Daryl ("The Preacher" Long) and I officiate together the first on to call a foul has to buy dinner. I can't remember the last time Daryl bought dinner, .

MTD, Sr.