Quote:
Originally Posted by JugglingReferee
(Post 562151)
APAs take less time than jump ball, so if your concern is that the one jump ball takes more time than a coin toss, then I say that the time difference is measured in under 30 seconds. Hardly worth the change. On the other hand, keeping the jump ball is consistent with other aspects of basketball: height is rewarded for the better chance at rebounds, and therefore the better chance at securing the first possession. But, like any rebound, it doesn't guarantee the first possession.
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The time element doesn't figure into my equation, but you do make an excellent point about the more athletic team having a better, but not 100% chance of getting the first possession. You're right, the jump ball is an important part of basketball, but so was the peach basket, at one time.
My reasons to do away with all jump balls:
1) It's a part of the natural order of rule progression, as stated in my earlier post.
2) With only one jump ball (usually) a game, most coaches don't take the time to understand the jump ball rules.
3) With only one jump ball (usually) a game, coaches don't teach kids the rules about jump balls, because they don't really understand them themselves.
4) With only one jump ball (usually) a game, most players don't understand the rules about jump balls.
5) With only one jump ball (usually) a game, many officials don't practice their jump ball technique as much as we used to back in the good old days, tossing it up and into a hoop over and over again.
6) With only one jump ball (usually) a game, many officials don't spend as much time studying the rules about jump balls, and
the jump ball rules are about as complex (before the toss, during the toss, after the tap, jumpers, nonjumpers, on the circle, off the circle, etc.) as rules can be for a situation that lasts only a few seconds (at the most), and happens only once (usually) a game.
7) It will give us a real reason to get the captains and coaches together pregame, instead of the usual players properly equipped, wearing uniforms properly, good sportsmanship, speech that we now give.
8) Other sports start games with a coin toss.
Each reason, individually, is not a good reason to do away with jump balls, but taken together, as a group, I believe that a pretty good argument is presented.
Some of these reasons are really
not excusable. Officials should practice tossing, and officials should know the jump ball rules like the back of their hand, but many of us, including me, don't, because it happens only once a game, it's over in a few seconds (tops), and many of us just want to get it over with and get into the flow of the game, hoping that nothing "weird" happens during the jump ball, and if it does, that it's obvious enough for us to recognize the violation, and call it.
How many Forum members, and I know that there are probably several esteemed members out there that can, can actually recite
all the jump ball rules, book, chapter, and verse, not only without looking at the rulebook, but who can call
all the various jump ball violations in those first few hectic seconds of the game?
