Thinking Outloud

“We want the referees to be a team and they should all be able to speak and write a common language.”

Urs Linsi

In almost all sports there are rules and officials to enforce the rules. Whether a person likes the calls and/or justifications, is a whole different story. I have recently observed numerous instances that have involved officials or referees acting in correct and also questionable fashion.

Before digging my own grave with my thoughts, I do want to inform you that yes, I have worn the stripes and have my own theories and justifications to making calls that have influenced the outcome of the game. Being in position and making a correct call takes, time and effort, and more people should attempt the art and complexity of officiating, it isn’t as easy as it looks.

In a soccer game, I have seen a player use his hand and punched in a goal, which he thought was legal, not so fast though as I saw the handball and made the call that pulled the goal off the board, what would a person fell like it I hadn’t made that call? I would have to live with it for the rest of my life, there is only one time to make that call, and that was at the time of the occurrence.

With the tension and excitement at a high level here lately, especially on the hardwood as teams seasons weigh in the balance of win or go home, I have seen many exhibitions of less than stellar judgement.

I can say personally as a former coach, there is no way in this lifetime, that I would let the player stay in the game, if the player got called for a technical for arguing with the official about the original foul call, at the very least sit the athlete down for a bit to cool his temper, but lo and behold the athlete remains in the game, with minimal action being put forth by the coach towards the players actions. Are you kidding me?

I have observed a timeout called during a jump ball, a football drive block used as a screen on the hardwood, a player with five fouls remain in the game, and a non rooted player draw a charge call on defense. Should hoopsters really have to deal with bad bruises and bloody noses on the hardwood either?

Officials have a thankless job, and usually don’t get the credit that is due to them. This could be a justifiable reason that we have less than stellar officials, nobody wants to do a thankless job. Give praise to your officials from the opening tip to the completion of the contest, not just till the clock reads 0:00.1, and just maybe the theory of, “Treat others like you would like to be treated,” will result in good officials making good calls.