Officiating?

[Great City 210]

Has officiating (basketball) always been this bad, or am I just now really paying attention?

 

The officiating at the Union at GC game this week left me scratching my head. It was a game that GC ended up winning by 7. Officiating did not cost GC a win, but the officiating was bad. It was so bad that after bad calls were made against GC, I saw some of the Union fans making faces like they could not believe the calls. 

 

The officiating at the GC at Wise Central game was some of the worst I have ever seen. The officiating in those JV games could have been the worst. After the JV games, the officials from those games sat behind me. I actually heard one of them say that by the time he realized something had happened, that the play had already progressed so far that he could not blow the whistle. True story. Why would someone like that keep calling games?

 

 

[goofoti32 30]

The officiating is brutal in this area.  I watched Richlands lead VHS the whole game the other night and blow it at the end when the referees swallowed their whistle.  Twice in the final two minutes Richlands got stops and rebounded the ball, only to be molested and lose the ball giving VHS and easy layup.  Over the back is non-existent anymore, it is basically hand to hand combat when the ball is shot, and the handchecking on the perimeter is ridiculous.  VHS is the worst culprit, and it is hilarious because Reed has great athletes who don't need to handcheck.  Make no mistake, it's not just VHS handchecking and stuff, it is basically everyone.  Some of these schools throw good football players out there who just body people all night long.  Skill is no longer emphasized, instead physical play and athleticism rule the day.  You can take a kid who is an average athlete but has superior skill because he has worked and worked on his game and neutralize him with a better athlete who is allowed to clutch and grab on defense.  

[1inStripes 933]

To be accurate, "over the back" has never been in the rule book.

 

I am not a basketball official and haven't been in attendance for a single HS game this year.  To me, basketball would be the toughest of the major sports to officiate.  Is this a HS only problem?  No. The issue has trickled down as far as the style of play goes.  The NCAA last year tried making the game less physical by calling more simple fouls for hand checking and people complain about 60+ combined free throws. I see plenty of people on social media complain about that in local games as well when this happens.  I have been to games in recent years and hated to see some of the things I have but its not like we have an abundance of officials in this area for any sport.

 

JV games are generally used on SUPER nights for newer officials that need work and improvement if possible I do believe, although with the early start times I am sure at times that also comes down to who could get there in time.  Those who are doing those games, and really any game, I hope they keep wanting to work at it and get better.

 

I think when the girls season was in the fall it kind of helped because you had 6 months straight of basketball being worked and folks being able to sustain what they have learned and improve upon other things as the seasons go along. 

 

It was nice back in the day to go to a HS game and see both teams possibly reach 100, but the defenses weren't as physical as a whole back then. To ever possibly get back to that on a consistent basis we may all have to go to games that have a combined 60-70 FTs for a while until coaches are forced to change the way they want to defend an opponent. 

 

Also I have always heard  that as you go up state, play only gets more physical.  If we do start calling every hand check, how will our teams fair as they style of play/officiating change as they proceed to the state level.  It becomes a double edged sword there. As with any sport, the more consistent we can be as an association the better things will be.

[BigWinners 1,643]

Stripes is right, over the back is not a foul, only the pushing is the foul

 

 

But I agree that officiating, as a whole, in this area is horrendous. Im glad to see that the Union folk were able to recognize that a bad call is a bad call, regardless of which team got called for said foul.

[goofoti32 30]

To be accurate, "over the back" has never been in the rule book.

 

I am not a basketball official and haven't been in attendance for a single HS game this year.  To me, basketball would be the toughest of the major sports to officiate.  Is this a HS only problem?  No. The issue has trickled down as far as the style of play goes.  The NCAA last year tried making the game less physical by calling more simple fouls for hand checking and people complain about 60+ combined free throws. I see plenty of people on social media complain about that in local games as well when this happens.  I have been to games in recent years and hated to see some of the things I have but its not like we have an abundance of officials in this area for any sport.

 

JV games are generally used on SUPER nights for newer officials that need work and improvement if possible I do believe, although with the early start times I am sure at times that also comes down to who could get there in time.  Those who are doing those games, and really any game, I hope they keep wanting to work at it and get better.

 

I think when the girls season was in the fall it kind of helped because you had 6 months straight of basketball being worked and folks being able to sustain what they have learned and improve upon other things as the seasons go along. 

 

It was nice back in the day to go to a HS game and see both teams possibly reach 100, but the defenses weren't as physical as a whole back then. To ever possibly get back to that on a consistent basis we may all have to go to games that have a combined 60-70 FTs for a while until coaches are forced to change the way they want to defend an opponent. 

 

Also I have always heard  that as you go up state, play only gets more physical.  If we do start calling every hand check, how will our teams fair as they style of play/officiating change as they proceed to the state level.  It becomes a double edged sword there. As with any sport, the more consistent we can be as an association the better things will be.

 

By "over the back" I mainly meant "on the back."  Don't get me wrong, I respect what officials do and have officiated middle school and below-my complaints are pretty generalized to all of basketball not just high school level.  I also agree with you that people complain when 70+ fouls are called, but I wish that people would place the blame on the coaching instead of the officials.  Don't like having 40 fouls in a game, teach your kids how to move their feet on defense and not grab and clutch.  

[V-Cats 472]

The V-T Game at VHS a few weeks ago was horrendous. One of TN High's players was shoving and trying to start a fight with our guys and didn't get T'd out until the crowd was about to riot

[flintboots 0]

Bad quality basketball makes it more difficult to call a clean game.  It sounds like there are a few potential new basketball officials here.  More information can be found at http://www.vhsl.org/officials.  I look forward to seeing you on the court next year doing an  excellent job.

[BigWinners 1,643]

And now we have our first basketball referee.

 

 

No one is saying you have an easy job, and its to be commended to take on that duty, but the quality of consistent officiating in SWVA is just not very high. Theres no way around it. I dont know if the refs simply dont work as hard some nights or have built in, overt bias agianst teams or what have you, but there are games that seem like one team gets away with murder while the other team racks up ticky tacky fouls.

[Bearcat Bob 491]

Officiating is bad all over it seems.  I was at an East Rockingham game the other night and saw something I had never seen before.  ER was inbounding the ball after a made basket.  As the player attempted to inbound the ball, uncontested, he threw the ball into the backside of the backboard and watched it go out of bounds.  The official blew the whistle and then just stood there.  He made no call and appeared to be trying to recall who won the 1968 election.  The other zebras went to him and after a 5 minute conference (literally took 5 minutes) called a jump ball.  He saw the ball thrown by the ER player; he saw it hit the back of the backboard and carom out of bounds

 

The play ended up only changing the possession arrow and the game was never close.  But, it could have been huge had the game been close and with possessions being vital.

[bucfan64 309]

Few people will agree with me, but overall the officiating is improved, compared to last year. I've never seen it perfect, and it never will be, in my opinion it is the toughest sport to officiate. The quality of play is down, compared to 10 years ago, and that in itself makes it difficult to call a game. Not making excuses for officials, anyone who wishes to officiate, needs to work on improving their "game," and it too is a gradual process.

 

I've coached HS Ball for 12 years, I have never seen anything as bad as things were last season, this season is an improvement and hopefully the improvement will continue. Things are far from where they need to be, but as bad as some may find it, overall it is better this season than last!

[Bearcat Bob 491]

I saw an official, this year, call a technical on a team when he thought an assistant coach was standing up and coaching the team.  After he called the technical, he was informed that the man standing was the head coach and not an assistant.  The official did not believe him and after the AD confirmed that he was in fact the head coach, he refused to change his call.  That happened in the first five minutes of the game. 

[flintboots 0]

I hear the mechanics for the officials are going to change next year and the officials are going to start sitting in the stands and calling the games.  Call accuracy is 100% in the stands while eating popcorn and yelling "three seconds!".

[Blue_Crue 49]

The referees have no accountability what so ever. Coaches aren't allowed to grade them and if they want to come in and do a bad job one night or take out their emotions or feelings on a team there is nothing the coach can do except blackball them afterwards. You have too many people doing it that are not going to get better or try and learn, they just want the easy cash, and that's what it is. Tell me a profession where a person can make $30 an hour with absolutely no clue what they are doing.

The other problem is referees wanting to be seen. You get some officials who blow their whistle to be seen. They feel like everyone is there to see them blow their whistle. Watched with my own eyes a referee other night big time the entire game. Every out of bounds, block/charge, and jump ball situation he would blow whistle and wait couple seconds then make his call like he was Hulk Hogan playing to the crowd. Here is the deal, the fans didn't come to see you and if you are a really good official no one will never know you were there because you just called the game. Until there is accountability for them, it is pointless. If someone has a job and stinks at it they get fired or put on improvement plans. These guys have no one to hold them accountable at all.  

[BigWinners 1,643]

I hear the mechanics for the officials are going to change next year and the officials are going to start sitting in the stands and calling the games.  Call accuracy is 100% in the stands while eating popcorn and yelling "three seconds!".

 

Are you arguing that the officials in this area do a great job of officiating games? There are times that it seems to everyone in the crowd that the refs are calling one thing and letting one thing go on one side, or that one side seems to get away with more, etc.... People with no rooting interest have commented on how bad the officiating can be in SWVA, its not just fans moaning and groaning.

 

Consistency is what most fans (I believe) want in officials, that and knowing the rules. If youre gonna allow one team to hand check, allow both teams or call the fouls. If you are gonna allow physical play, fine, but let both teams be physical. 

 

Ive witnessed Zack Moore get a technical for simply taking off his suit jacket. Not yelling at the ref at that moment, just turning around and taking his jacket off and a T was called.

 

In the GC/Union game at Union, Union got away with an OBVIOUS foul on one possession, and on the next, got a call as a make up call. I dont believe in make up calls. Just because you missed one call does not mean you should not continue to do your job and call what you deem a foul. 

 

But people do get suspicious about bias when certain players get scolded and called for more fouls, or some teams get away with more on a consistent basis. Have you ever seen a game in which a team only shot two free throws until the last of the fourth quarter in which the opposing team had to foul to put the team on the line, when said team was consistently throwing the ball into the post and working inside? I thought it was literally impossible yet I saw it happen.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Tell me a profession where a person can make $30 an hour with absolutely no clue what they are doing.

What is Washington, D.C., Alex?

[BigWinners 1,643]

I believe all those blowhard probably make a little bit more than $30/hour, which makes it even more sad. :(

[flintboots 0]

Please explain this math.

[BigWinners 1,643]

I was referring to the blowhards in Congress making more than $30/hour, which makes me sad

[bucfan64 309]

A few years back, there was a point system implemented to help grade officials. This system allowed each coach anonymity when it came to grading or ranking the officials. This final ranking would be tabulated per district and the top vote getting officials would be rewarded by being permitted to officiate during the District and Regional tournaments. 

 

Interestingly enough, some officials who would score terribly low in one district, would receive high marks in another district. This, no doubt was a result of cronyism. Nonetheless, the system only lasted a couple of years and naturally, the word started getting out that this coach or this school or this district did not vote for so and so and officials were at least given the opportunity to establish a vendetta against said school or district. 

 

The system wasn't full proof and could have been modified a bit more, but it was an accountability tool for coaches. I personally know for a fact that in the last couple of years, while under new leadership, if a coach had a complaint about an official the then head of the A.O.A. made it a habit of informing that official and by doing so he created an uncomfortable situation between certain schools and coaches. One coach sent an email to the head of the A.O.A. and the head of the officials then forwarded that email to ALL A.O.A. officials, essentially blackballing or punishing that coach for his opinion. 

[sixcat 2,923]

I have refereed more than my fair share of basketball.  Not so much in the past several years but nothing has changed.  If anything, it is getting worse.  What typically happens in this part of the state, any given game will have one experienced, quality referee and two who have no business on the court.  The poor refereeing brings down the quality referees overall performance.  Adding to what already is a difficult situation, basketball is mainly a subjective sport to call.  What I perceive to be a foul may not be perceived the same way by others.  

 

The last game I refereed, in an end of game situation and down by 2, The PG was running the floor at full speed with the ball being guarded by an all out athlete.  The post went to set a screen at half court for the PG.  In the process, lowered his shoulder, stepped toward the defender, and raised his forearm/elbow and delivered a blow to the defender in the rib/chest area.  I immediately blew the whistle, called the illegal screen and turned the ball over to the other team.  The PG went on a tirade, dropping every expletive imaginable.  His parents came out onto the court causing a ruckus by other fans who were all removed by law enforcement. He was ejected, as was the coach and the player setting the screen after going into the opposing bench area looking for a fight.

 

Later the following day, I was notified that I was being investigated for "assault and battery" against the PG by local law enforcement.  He accused me of "grabbing him in an violent manor around the shoulders and arms, leaving bruising".

 

After watching the video with local law enforcement, school officials, parents of those involved, and several others, it was determined that I wasn't within 50 feet of the kid at no time after the incident and the camera was glued on me.  The video clearly showed his coaches pulling him to the corner of the gym by the arms and shoulders.  The kid blatantly lied to all involved.  The kid had all extra curricular activities taken away from him for the remainder of the school year, the basketball coaches wouldn't allow him to participate the following year, his senior year, and his parents were banned from all school activities.

 

The video clearly showed the post player doing exactly what I saw.  He stepped into, lowered his shoulder and drove his forearm/ elbow up and through the defenders chest.  

 

Not one of the other two referees defended me until AFTER viewing the video!  They are still refereeing in this area.

[BigWinners 1,643]

I have refereed more than my fair share of basketball.  Not so much in the past several years but nothing has changed.  If anything, it is getting worse.  What typically happens in this part of the state, any given game will have one experienced, quality referee and two who have no business on the court.  The poor refereeing brings down the quality referees overall performance.  Adding to what already is a difficult situation, basketball is mainly a subjective sport to call.  What I perceive to be a foul may not be perceived the same way by others.  

 

The last game I refereed, in an end of game situation and down by 2, The PG was running the floor at full speed with the ball being guarded by an all out athlete.  The post went to set a screen at half court for the PG.  In the process, lowered his shoulder, stepped toward the defender, and raised his forearm/elbow and delivered a blow to the defender in the rib/chest area.  I immediately blew the whistle, called the illegal screen and turned the ball over to the other team.  The PG went on a tirade, dropping every expletive imaginable.  His parents came out onto the court causing a ruckus by other fans who were all removed by law enforcement. He was ejected, as was the coach and the player setting the screen after going into the opposing bench area looking for a fight.

 

Later the following day, I was notified that I was being investigated for "assault and battery" against the PG by local law enforcement.  He accused me of "grabbing him in an violent manor around the shoulders and arms, leaving bruising".

 

After watching the video with local law enforcement, school officials, parents of those involved, and several others, it was determined that I wasn't within 50 feet of the kid at no time after the incident and the camera was glued on me.  The video clearly showed his coaches pulling him to the corner of the gym by the arms and shoulders.  The kid blatantly lied to all involved.  The kid had all extra curricular activities taken away from him for the remainder of the school year, the basketball coaches wouldn't allow him to participate the following year, his senior year, and his parents were banned from all school activities.

 

The video clearly showed the post player doing exactly what I saw.  He stepped into, lowered his shoulder and drove his forearm/ elbow up and through the defenders chest.  

 

Not one of the other two referees defended me until AFTER viewing the video!  They are still refereeing in this area.

 

Thank you for your post, it is very informative and usually 100% accurate. One good referee, two who are seemingly clueless.