Foul calling

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by stripes2255

I recently had a conversation with a assoc. member who was working a GV game where the star player for Team A had four fouls. During a timeout, this guy tells his partner to make sure A1(star player) deserves her fifth foul. Two minutes later A1 bumps B1 on a rebound and knocks her down to the ground. The P of the guy I am talking with whistles with a fist in air, thinks for a second and opens his hand and calls a travel. The gym erupts along with Team B's HC!(rightfully so)

Needless to say, the guy is rethinking how he worded the conversation with his P, and I suggested that the conversation doesn't need to happen at all.

My suggestion to him was to apply some preventative officiating before the incident by speaking with A1 and reminding her of her foul trouble and to be smart, but after that we have to call the plays without bias. Thoughts on that?

I don't have a problem with that conversation. I've had it myself and will continue to. The problem is the other official misapplied what was said. If the player bumped another player and caused them to fall then they definitely earned the foul.

This can definitely get you in trouble if misapplied so maybe less experienced officials shouldnt think too much about it.

But I have seen too many instances where officials call very marginal contact that end up being the 4th or 5th foul on key players and IMO that shouldnt happen.

If a player commits a clear foul, regardless of who they are or how many they have, call it. But there are situations where better discretion is prudent.

ETA- I would not remind a player about their foul trouble because then what happens when someone hears the conversation and you don't do it for another player on the other team.