Team Disparity

[ranjo]

I recently posted about a game where going in, the crew could pretty much predict the outcome because one teams win-loss record was 15-1 and the others 1-15. Worse and Best in one night We pregamed calling all obvious fouls on both teams in order to not show any bias and to keep the game clock moving as much as possible.

Having worked my share of 50 to 90 point differential games, I would like to know what some of you might pregame in order to get through it and still feel like you did a good job for both teams.

[mbyron]

If the score is getting lopsided, I will remind partners to watch for frustration fouls, and to talk the players out of them as much as possible.

[bob jenkins]

Officiate the game, not the scoreboard.

[JRutledge]

I do not know how much you can pre-game a bad score. Those happen whether you think it is going to happen or not. I just call what I see and let the chips fall where they may. Usually a team that is losing is losing because they are not playing as well. Sometimes that means they foul a lot.

Peace

[deecee]

I dont understand the difficult concept of doing your job during a crappy game. Just because the game is not competitive doesn't take away the fact that you are to officiate, without prejudice, the contest. I do not like to remind partners this, and I take is as an insult when my partner reminds me. If a game sucks what can you do about it. Just do your job.

[ranjo]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Officiate the game, not the scoreboard.

I guess this is it in a nutshell. Bob has such a way of getting right to the point. (when in doubt, listen to Bob).

I new the answer all along, but its nice to bounce it off all the experience here and see if anyone has a different take on it.

Same thing Rut and DeeCee said. Just had more than usual this year. But on the bright side, I did get paid the same for all of the games and got to work on mechanics and game management things I might not have been able to do in a more closely contested game.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ranjo

When in doubt, listen to Bob.

You are 100% wrong. It's, "Always listen to bob". You've got over 200 posts, and you're acting like a newbie. You'll never become an esteemed member with mistakes like this.

[DonInKansas]

The only pregame we have for things like this is "Thank heaven for the running 4th quarter clock."

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Officiate the game, not the scoreboard.

The "game" is frequently a function of the scoreboard.

[ranjo]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

You are 100% wrong. It's, "Always listen to bob". You've got over 200 posts, and you're acting like a newbie. You'll never become an esteemed member with mistakes like this.

Kind of mirrors with my officiating career.

[Texas Aggie]

I do not like to remind partners this, and I take is as an insult when my partner reminds me.

What other information do you not like to be reminded of and how do you decide between that and other info that's OK for a reminder? I don't learn anything new in a pregame -- everything is a reminder and some of it is pretty basic, yet I would never be insulted by it. It bothers me that you would be, but perhaps I've missed your point here.

[bbcoach7]

and I'm not just sucking up to a moderator either.

Having been on both sides of very lopsided scores as a coach, I really like this:

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Officiate the game, not the scoreboard.

At 1-15, it's likely this team has "tossed in the towel." They might compete hard for a little while, but as soon as it looks like it's the same old thing again, they will usually stop competing hard. Of course there are exceptions, but that's what it's like on the girls side.

When I know we are playing a very weak team, I want to put them away early because I don't want them to get it in their heads that they have a chance to win and keep playing real hard. Not because they might beat us, but because the chance of injury is much higher when the opponent thinks they have a chance to win and the only way they can beat you is by playing harder than you. Next thing you know they are running through you, diving into your legs for loose balls, fighting and scrapping for everything. They still are going to lose, but now it's ugly time.

Our varsity team played against and beat the same opponent 4 times this season (1 non league and 3 tournaments). The first game was very competetive. And it was an ugly game, technicals called on players, one ejection, ejected player gave the stands the middle finger from locker room doorway. The girls said they played dirty- holding, stomach punches, hip checks on airbourne players, all sorts of crap. Each successive time they played, the score was more lopsided. By the end of the 4th game, they were helping each other up & you'd of thought they grew up together in the same school district. Sitting in the stands together watching the boys play, hugging each other when it was time to leave. Girls! I'm pretty sure boys don't respond like that. Boys would keep slugging it out and they would report that they hate those SOB's.

When I've been on the wrong side of lopsided scores, I personally hated it, hated it, hated it, when it appeared as if calls aren't being made so we can just puleeeeze get this mess over with. The reason is because I'm trying to teach them how to play the game and if the rules are being sort of skimmed over, or over looked, it makes it more difficult to teach and robs me of precious time when the clock stops on the whistle and I can use those seconds to communicate. Sometimes when the call isn't made, the teaching moment is lost. Other times it can be re-constructed later.

Our last game (3 more) of the season is against a league opponent who we beat 59-11 a week ago. We didn't run, we didn't press, I made us run offense (I'd never make them count passes before they can try to score, that BS is more humiliating than the lopsided score). We could have just spread out and dribbled past them to the basket. I've been trying to figure out a creative way to make the last game more challenging and still get something of value out of it. Like I said, I won't make them count passes. That's bush league in my opinion, and it messes up flow and rythym on offense. Today I had them run our motion offense with no dribble allowed except in the paint for about 10 minutes. I like making them go no dribble in practice because it forces the player with the ball to get their eyes up and really see the court, and it forces those without the ball to learn how to get open. When we go no dribble on them in the game (after getting a good lead), it will just look like we really pass the ball well, the score will probably not get so lopsided, and my kids will be better players than if we just counted passes, or ran it up.

Just thought I'd toss in my coaches point of view on this topic.

[just another ref]

This thread comes at a good time. GV game I have tonight, last meeting was
44-2. That's right. Visitors have lost their last 5 by a combined 251-40.

[just another ref]

Our game lived up to its billing. Home team did a great job of holding things down. The coach divided her starters and player everybody pretty much equally. Home had numerous steals with a chance to run out but didn't push it.
No pressure in the backcourt. Visitors had only 5 players, and looked like they had never met each other before tonight. They spread the court with nobody in the post. I believe they had 0 offensive board, maybe even no touches in the paint all night. They mainly made a couple of passes, then either turned it over or fired a 3. Final score: Home 39 Visitors 3

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by bbcoach7

I've been trying to figure out a creative way to make the last game more challenging and still get something of value out of it. Like I said, I won't make them count passes. That's bush league in my opinion, and it messes up flow and rythym on offense.

In addition to reffing basketball, I coach a different sport (soccer) and have generally been fairly successful.

We've often found ourselves up on teams and not being one to want to run up the score, I take measures that both limit scoring and benefit my players. I flip the positions around...defenders (many who never have a score all season) move forward into attacking positions. The forwards (who usually get most of the scores) are moved back to defense....hard to score from there. It does two things....it gives each player a chance to work on a skill set they don't use as often and it gives players who don't normally get the chance, an opportunity to score. Our rate of scoring drops (keeping it from getting out of hand) while we still rarely allow scores on us.

For basketball, you can do basically the same thing....make your bigs play on the perimiter and have the guards in the post. Your 5 or 4 brings the ball down the court and runs the offense. The 1 & 2, post up on the blocks or some such inside play. The 1 & 2 will learn how the post player wants to receive the ball and will usually be playing against bigger players, the post players will learn what it takes to get it inside and will learn better ball handling skills.