Flow vs. Rules

[BryanV21]

You're going to hear plenty of advice that should go in one ear and out the other. Ignoring off-ball fouls is one of them.

Coach - "They [off-ball foul calls] affect the flow of the game."
Me - "Coach... a foul is a foul. If you don't want them called, then tell your players not to commit them."

[johnny d]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Me - "Coach... a foul is a foul. If you don't want them called, then tell your players not to commit them."

Probably not the wisest answer for many reasons.

Originally Posted by johnny d

Probably not the wisest answer for many reasons.

It's Referee Bingo™: you keep crossing things off the board until you get to give a technical!

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by johnny d

Probably not the wisest answer for many reasons.

Oh, I wouldn't say that... just think it. My actual reaction would probably be something like "a foul is a foul, regardless of where it's committed."

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Oh, I wouldn't say that... just think it. My actual reaction would probably be something like "a foul is a foul, regardless of where it's committed."

Even that is not really that accurate.

[Freddy]

A. Games that flow and necessary of ball fouls called need not be mutually exclusive.

B. Games experienced and studied on video that seemed to get out of control most frequently had ballwatching Officials who, with no clue of off ball primary surveillance principles, missed calls off ball that were the initial seeds of the rough play that cropped up later.

C. Those who complain about off ball fouls aren't looking where you are paid to look. But they will complain more if, by ignoring those calls, you thereby let the game get out of control.

Just some initial random thoughts on the OP...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Freddy

Those who complain about off ball fouls aren't looking where you are paid to look.

Rookie officials, and some experienced officials, as well as all coaches, and all fans, need to have this tattooed on their chests.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by Freddy

C. Those who complain about off ball fouls aren't looking where you are paid to look.

True, and it makes those statements undertstandable when they come from coaches and fans.

Would anybody dare say that an official that says it could be a ball-watcher?

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Even that is not really that accurate.

Please elaborate.

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by BryanV21

Please elaborate.

Contact is situational. The very same contact may or may not be a foul depending on the game situation.

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by Camron Rust

Contact is situational. The very same contact may or may not be a foul depending on the game situation.

I'm clearly not referring to whether or not contact in Case A is the same as contact in Case B, and whether or not it's a foul.

If a player fouls another player (not saying similar contact, but an actual foul), then it doesn't matter where it occurs... relative to the position of the ball.