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I recently had the opportunity to take in several games during the Oklahoma class 2A-4A state basketball tournament. I enjoy watching great basketball and learning from some of the best officials in the state. It also allowed me to actually hear the jeers reigning from the peanut gallery. It became evident very quickly that the most popular phrase of the weekend would be “Call it both ways zebra!”
At one contest it was yelled during the very first possession of the game! This tells me that fans habitually bark phrases like this, or they are insecure about their team’s chances of victory from the tip. It also became clear that the majority of fans do not think objectively or take into account what is actually happening in a game. In one instance, the opposing team had been whistled for twice as many fouls and shot 15 less free throws. What happened to respecting the game, your opponent, and the officials? The only conclusion that I can render is that many fans must be reading “How to Yell at Officials for Dummies.” The reality is officials could care less who wins the game. Part of the officials pregame meeting does not include who the better team is, what team they plan to call fouls on, or deciding that every 50/50 call goes to the home team. Officials merely call what they see. They don’t count fouls or try to keep them even. Did you know that if your team has an aggressive mentality and likes to utilize heavy pressure to create turnovers there is a higher probability of them committing more fouls than their opponent? This probability increases if you are playing a team that is more passive in nature and plays zone defense. Furthermore, if one team lives and dies by the three and the other team chooses to slash and drive to the bucket, there is a chance that the foul count can be skewed. Here are a few factors that officials consider when deciding what constitutes illegal contact. Typically, one of these elements must be present to warrant a whistle. It is important to note that most officials are trained to referee the defense first when ruling on fouls. Legal guarding position – Did the defensive player establish legal guarding position before the contact occurred? Verticality – Did the defender keep their hands and arms extended within their own vertical plane? Remember, it is legal for a defender who has established legal guarding position to leave the floor provided they meet the rule of verticality. Displacement – Did the contact cause a player to be moved or displaced from a position that they had legally obtained? Keep in mind that officials may still choose to pass on a call if the contact does not disrupt or hinder the speed, balance, or rhythm of a player. When evaluating officials, there is one main question fans should ask. Are the officials being consistent with the whistle? If officiating was easy everyone would be doing it… Thanks for spending 3 Seconds in the Stripes!
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Just like education reform, Oklahoma is lagging behind when it comes to utilizing three person mechanics for varsity basketball contests. I can count on one hand the number of states that do not utilize three person mechanics at some point during post season play. There are numerous reasons why we should move to three person mechanics, so this post only touches the surface.
Is it really necessary to be so stubborn when it comes to change? Are students and athletes located in other states more important than our own kids? The answer to these two questions should be a resounding “No!” However, a lack of action and poor planning has education as a whole in dire straits. High school athletics are merely an extension of the classroom, where lifetime values such as citizenship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and hard work are reinforced. Some coaches are hesitant to jump on board with using three officials as they believe there will be more whistles, which will slow down the game. However, statistics show that the game is not impacted by the number of whistles or types of rulings measured when using three officials. Using three officials actually provides more quality whistles on rulings and better game management. The need to guess is virtually eliminated as every angle can be covered adequately. It is near impossible for even the best two person crew to see everything. In case you have not noticed athletes today are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before. There are very few officials that can actually keep up with the pace of the game plus have quality whistles using two person mechanics. When the primary focus is on keeping up with the game, quality suffers. The feedback from schools that have allowed the use of three person crews is very positive. Most agree that the entire game atmosphere is improved and there are fewer problems with coaches and fans. The number of officials is declining and it is not entirely due to unruly spectators. Many experienced and veteran officials are retiring from varsity contest because they simply cannot keep up. Using three person mechanics will prolong the careers of these valuable officials and help get younger people started by not feeding them to the wolves each night out. That wraps another 3 Seconds In The Stripes! With the unrealistic expectations spectators place on officials to be perfect, one would think officials are androids, programmed to never miss a single call. I can only assume that most fans do not realize that calling interscholastic sports is a hobby for most officials. There is no way you could survive on the pay. I also doubt that most fans understand the numerous sacrifices officials make in order to call games.
The number of officials in all sports is on a steady decline due to the constant berating and offensive behavior being displayed by coaches and fans. In Oklahoma, many middle school and junior varsity contest are officiated by assistant coaches or at times the bus driver. Ironically, I have seldom seen coaches or fans lose their mind on these folks. They realize they are just helping out so the game can be played. Maybe all of us should just roll out there in a pair of overalls with no shirt on, just so the game can be played. Like a raging bull to the cloth, the stripes make coaches and fans see red. What if your boss held you to the same level of expectation that you have for officials? How would you feel if the entire office yelled obscenities at you every time you made a mistake or missed a deadline? What qualifications do you have to make you think you know more than the officials? Have you ever officiated a game or studied the rule book? What sacrifice do you make for the game, other than the $5 entry fee that barely helps keep the lights on at a school struggling to exist? Please remember that other than the man responsible for creating all of us, nobody is perfect! Quit expecting officials to be super human and void of flaws. Focus on coaching or supporting your team. It will prove to be more productive in the end. We will miss some calls and even be out of position occasionally (especially in a 2 person crew), but believe it or not we are trying our best! Good luck to all of the teams competing for hardware and the officials working the games this weekend. Thanks for spending 3 Seconds In The Stripes! There is no figure in the world of sports more despicable to fans than the referee. A close second would be the security guard responsible for escorting disorderly fans from their seat to the parking lot. The main difference being fans typically respect law enforcement, as they might actually need their help one day.
Fans have zero reason to like or behave themselves around officials, much less show any level of respect towards them. Some fans believe that officials step on the floor with an agenda and detailed plan on how to swindle their team out of victory. What they do not realize is this would be like the student who works harder to try and get out of an assignment, than if they would have just completed the assignment. Nonetheless, fans should understand tickets only grant you entry into the contest and are not a guarantee that you get to stay for the entire show. A ticket is not a free pass or open license for you to berate officials, opposing fans, or players. In case you were wondering, refunds are not issued to those that are asked to leave. Having uncontrollable fans removed from a high school basketball game used to be rare. This has now become common place. Just last week an entire section was removed from a playoff contest, so be very careful when choosing your seat. Most officials allow school administrators the opportunity to manage their fans. However, if they choose to do nothing and place your fate at the hands of an official, you are likely leaving with NO warning. After all, I don’t recall a fan ever warning me or any other official that they were about to lose their mind. A good friend of mine was headed to a game this season when he was pulled over for having an expired tag. The trooper actually recognized this official (who has been calling for more than 35 years) and had seen him call a few times. The officer was kind enough to issue only a warning, stating “There is no way I can give a ticket to someone folks hate even more than law enforcement!” My advice to fans is to try and be on your best behavior this weekend. I anticipate most venues hosting playoff games will have zero tolerance for senseless behavior... Once again, thanks for spending 3 Seconds in The Stripes! |
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February 2020
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