Questions about basketball officiating....

[thekimmer]

I enjoy watching sports and have played many of them myself but never tried to do anything more than just volunteer type officiating. With that said, one sport I have never attempted to call is basketball because reffing hoops seems to me to be among the toughest to do and especially calling personal fouls.

My questions for those of you who perhaps have done this professionally in some capacity, how subjective is calling fouls? What is an estimated typical accuracy rate? I ask that because I see games where it is described that the refs are 'letting em play' and others, like our game on Sun, where the officials appear determined to blow the pea out of their whistles calling fouls. Is that just individual variation & how for example do certain players seem to be able to play rough without getting fouls called no matter who does the reffing?

Bottom line is many times I watch a game and am not able to discern good defense from personal fouls and wonder just how much of a crap shoot it is. Thoughts?

 

[mstateglfr]

I enjoy watching sports and have played many of them myself but never tried to do anything more than just volunteer type officiating. With that said, one sport I have never attempted to call is basketball because reffing hoops seems to me to be among the toughest to do and especially calling personal fouls.

Yes, its incredibly difficult because basketball is a contact sport, yet contact is also a foul in many instances. Pretty delicate balance for refs to strike, given the difficult parameters.

My questions for those of you who perhaps have done this professionally in some capacity, how subjective is calling fouls? What is an estimated typical accuracy rate?

19.83%

I ask that because I see games where it is described that the refs are 'letting em play' and others, like our game on Sun, where the officials appear determined to blow the pea out of their whistles calling fouls. Is that just individual variation & how for example do certain players seem to be able to play rough without getting fouls called no matter who does the reffing?

Players adjust if they are talented enough to AND if they recognize the change in time. Many times even if a player is talented enough to play both ways(soft and bang), they may not pick up on how the refs are calling it early enough to adjust before they already have 2 fouls and sit for a bit.
Some would also claim refs are biased and against MSU, which of course is absurd and makes hurts the chance their other opinions are taken seriously.

Bottom line is many times I watch a game and am not able to discern good defense from personal fouls and wonder just how much of a crap shoot it is. Thoughts?

Its a total crap shoot because there is fouling on every single trip up and down the court, if you get technical about it.
Reffing is best when fouls are only called due to affecting the play. If a couple players run into one another away from the ball and it doesnt affect the play or the potential development for an immediate play, then it shouldnt be called a foul. Often times, these arent called now and thats for the best. Yes its a foul if two players go for a loose ball 30' away from the basket and collide, but as long as the guy who gets the ball first stays on his feet and isnt put in a position to turn it over or travel, then play on.
Even when there arent fouls on the primary ball defender, there are fouls going on away from the ball. Weakside screens are notoriously a play that is a foul but not called. The off ball defender is put in a position of disadvantage because of the illegal screen too. Our big men have been called too many times to count this year for these. Well, for these and for on ball screens too.

 

[BiscuitEater]

College BB became almost impossible to watch when the started to pay officials per the number of fouls called .. or at least that's what it looks like.

 

[Southern Law Dawg]

I've done some adult league reffing in basketball, an I generally let them play. The only time I was really quick with the whistle was if things were getting a bit chirpy on the court or if the player in particular had given me problems in the past. I guess that confirms, at least in my case, that bias over past performance exists, but it was against individuals and not teams. Valentine's 20 year vendetta against us is still a mystery.