Late Game Fouling

[btaylor64]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Of course the game circumstances are different, but the rules aren't. I still have yet to have anyone show me in the rule or case book where the standard for calling a foul is different at the end of the game than it is in the beginning.

I will agree if the offense stands there and is willing to "take" a foul, then yes, we should call the foul when the defense comes up and puts their hands on the offense. But if the offense is doing their job and keeping away from the defense, why should we penalize them by stopping the clock for something that is not a foul at any other time in the game? Is the answer is simply that we want to avoid escalating amounts of contact until someone's on the floor? Then my response is we missed calling a foul on one of those "escalating amounts of contact". If none of those amounts of contact would've warranted a foul call in the beginning of the game, and the player gets frustrated and puts the offense on the floor, then we need to call the intentional or flagrant. That's a coaching issue - if the players have not been taught to foul "properly" at the end of the game, it's not our job to penalize the offense and stop the clock because we're afraid the defense might get frustrated and put someone on the floor.

It's not our job keep players from being frustrated. Example: A1 gets the ball in the low post, makes his move, and B1 blocks the shot. You see a little bit of body contact, but not enough to affect the shot, and therefore no foul. Now, this same thing happens two more times down the court. Finally, A1 shows his frustration by lowering his shoulder into B1 and knocking him to the floor. So, what would your response be if I told you that you should've called a foul on one of the earlier blocks so A1 doesn't get frustrated and put B1 to the floor in that instance? Of course, if there was no foul initially, it's not our job to call something that isn't there simply to prevent frustration later.

Maybe, in realty, what we would both call in these situations is not that far apart. But what I'm reacting to is the comment that we should call a foul on "any amount of contact" in this situation. I have seen fouls called on a touch: "Tag, you're fouled." To me that's both lazy coaching and lazy officiating; the coach hasn't taught the players how to foul the proper way, and the official is putting aside their judgement to make an easy call. Yes, we should be aware of the time and situation - we should know which team is behind, that they will probably want to foul to stop the clock. We should be more aware of how they will try to do that, and work to be in position to get the contact that really is a foul. We should not take the easy way out and call a foul on simply any contact.

I've already said this once in the thread but i feel it is worth mentioning again. If you try to referee these end of game situations too purely, you are just going to hurt yourself. Being a PURE, BLACK AND WHITE rulebook referee is not a good thing. The game of basketball is very grey and by tweaking a movement here or there or by a player being in a slightly different position on the court can make the outcome of the play be totally different. We don't deal in "absolutes" all the time in officiating. That would make this game scientific which would not be for the betterment of the game of basketball. This job is an art, and like most arts it takes time and experience to develop and nearly perfect your craft. If it were a science anyone could learn it because their are nothing but absolutes.

If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck then it probably is a duck. Everyone sees the team is trying to foul and you as the officials are attempting to justify a way to not call what is obvious to everyone else.

I definitely understand a team attempting to pass the ball around as well. If they are doing that then i need the slight contact to happen well before the player releases it to the next player.

"Feel for the game" is very important in my opinion. It shows that you understand the game and its tiny nuances, whether it be from an officials, coaches or players standpoint.