Letting it get out of control

[Pantherdreams]

I hate it when I work with members of our association who think game management = call it tight + have a predetermined idea of how much I'm going to let go.

Fouls are not contact. They are an involved process dependant on the nature of the contact, the type of contact, player position, advantage gained or disadvantage caused and immediacy of the adv/disadv.

There is nothing worse then watching or officiating a game with two physical athletic teams play a game with 50 fouls called and it be determined by who's bench players are better free throw shooters. This isn't my thought process in the game, but each situation in a game is unique and really needs to be called as such.

This "keep the hands off", " quit your reaching", or my personal favorite "he's gotta learn not to do that" stuff makes me crazy. It its contact meeting criteria for a foul call it, if not zip and don't worry about what could happen in the future as a result of some teenagers response to what you did or did not call in the first half.

[btaylor64]

A lot has been said here so I would like to compile with some phrases I have heard and some other thoughts on this:

"Players will play as you allow them to play"- Having a "let 'em play attitude" in regards to passing on illegal contact for the sake of having flow in your game is unacceptable. If a player has illegal trajectory in the first 5 min., its the same as the last 5 min. Now that's not to say you are/were unsure of the player's trajectory, picked up the play late and didn't blow, etc. If you don't know you don't blow and that is fine, but not calling illegal contact just because it is early is wrong. I would suggest thinking about it like this.... imagine you are having every play charted and if you don't get 90% of your plays right you don't have a shot at a postseason assignment. I think this would help a little. I believe this would cause you to still call obvious fouls at all parts of the game. just a thought



"Marginal vs. Illegal"- In regards to the referees who think they should call it tight to keep the game from getting out of hand I would have to disagree as well, because by doing this you get into an already pre-conceived notion that you are looking for any little thing to call to "set" your own tone and I believe that to be over the top. By calling marginal contact a foul we have, in fact, said to the player's "almost any contact is a foul" and that is not good for the game, player's, coach's or fans.

My opinion is that, and in particular to the guys/gals who Crew Chief a lot of games, you tell your crew that you just go out there and distinguish between marginal and illegal contact, nothing else. Don't worry about flow and don't worry about having to call a lot of early fouls. You must still attack the game and be aggressive but if you stay away from marginal contact and call obvious fouls early that will be the tone of your game..... getting every play you can right. That's the tone you are looking to set. Nothing more or nothing less. I truly believe we attempt to make this too difficult and sometimes it does get difficult but not early in a game.