fan behavior???

[clevelandbrowns#1]

eagles 73
I sent you a P.M.

[supermama]

As a parent now watching and as a former referee, many-many moons ago, I can honestly say that the fans really just want it to be called evenly. I don't care if the officiating is poor, but at least be consistent. Yes the game is more fast paced and aggressive. I for one like the fact that the ladies are playing this style more. It definitely is more fun to watch. When I did officiate, I did my best to "tune" out the fans. That is the only way to be fair to both teams. Interacting with the crowd will never lead to anything good. And yes, we fans need to learn that we don't always have the best angle. Sometimes we should err on the side of caution. I, for one, am trying to do better. Help me, Jesus!

[Bastogne]

From what I have witnessed the fans may say they want it consistent but what they really mean is consistent as long as it is consistently called on the other team and not on their team. Lets face it an official is always 50% right and always 50% wrong with each call to many of the fans in attendance.

[heyblu44]

As an Official that has worked College ball as well as High School, I can tell you I agree with digger's daughter - Every Fan should have to pass the same test and attend the same meetings that officials do before the each season begins. If they don't pass the test - they do not get in the basketball gym. Sometimes it better if the games wer played without fans in the stands.

[Esully63]

From what I have witnessed the fans may say they want it consistent but what they really mean is consistent as long as it is consistently called on the other team and not on their team. Lets face it an official is always 50% right and always 50% wrong with each call to many of the fans in attendance.

I agree with you to an extent, but not all games are. I saw a boys game the other day and at half time the foul count was 6 for the home team and 18 for the visitors. I find that a bit hard to swallow. Even the radio commentators were commenting on the calls. It was also the first time I have ever seen a ball handler called for 5 seconds while dribbling back out to the point after driving completely across the baseline in a failed attemt for an opening. Whats that all about. Saw another game last night "Girl drives to the basket goes right over another girl sending her to the ground so hard the ref called injury time out.....no call!". The shooter ask did I make it, what was the call...her team mate tells her no whistle. These are young people and I here about safety and how those inconsequential touches on a drive to the basket are to prevent injury, but the calls are very inconsistant. Do you want to know why parents get upset....I'll tell you.
The game of basketball has evolved into a contact sport (Im fine with it) however officiating has not evolved with it. When you have a contact sport..say football, the officials must stay on top of the players to keep thier emotions in check. The physical nature of a contact sport drive emotions to the point of being out of control. Without the officials actively trying to curb this natural reaction to the heat of battle things get out of control and people get hurt. Calateral damage is caused due to parents getting very frustrated, and in my opinion they have every right to get upset.
Three senarios I saw just last night and how I believe they should have been handled.

Two instances, very similiare.

Instance one: A team is inbounding the ball. The ref hands the ball to the inbounding team. She slaps the ball and play begins with an offensive player shoving the defended covering her. I mean shoved her back a step and a half. This was done to get open. The parent in the stands is getting upset because of no call. The parent would like to know how that could be missed with three refs and all ten players congested for the inbound (this was a sideline inbound). I believe a call should have been made and the player counseled to curb the emotions abit.

Second instance: A player tries to pass over the defender. The defender jumps and tries to get the pass, the defender misses. When the defender hit the ground the offensive player that just passed the ball (out of frustration i assume, her team was not having a good night) shoves her with both hands and the defensive player stumbles back. I feel this will not make any difference, but yes an official was walking along side these two players and ten counting to half court. This is still a shove however this was not to get open this was pure emotional overflow. This should draw a tecchnical and the player and coach should be warned.

Third: A player drives full court break puts up a layup and goes through the defender send her to the ground forcing an official to call an injury time out. The shooter says "Did I make It, what was the call" Her team mate says "Yes you made it, no call". Now two parents are upset. In this instance it is either a block or a charge, come on now you have a 50/50 shot at getting it right, make the call. Help settle down at least half the crowd. If the ball handler was out of cotrol with raging emotion calm them call it, if the defender was making a last ditch efford to stop the score at any cost, call it and calm her emotions. This also happens in the open court quite frequently with no call. What really bother me is that this goes on yet a slight brush on some layups draw a foul and the ref says "It a safety issue, you might upend the shooter". Doesnt really make a compelling arguement when you see people being run over all night without a call either way.

Official I am not getting down on you, you have an extremely difficult task. I am however giving you a look from the other side. I am asking you to look at what is being said and instead of taking it as an attack honestly look at it and see if there is any value in it. I honestly believe emotions are getting out of control out there and it is your responsibility to control the emotions on the floor. I know of at least three instances so far this year where "GIRLS" have actually come to blows with actual close fisted face punches and in my opinion that should be a rare happening in high school sports and almost never in girls sports. We also have the fan -VS- ref battle out in minford. Show me statistically everything is under controll and that things are not progressively getting worse and Ill not say another word.

I honestly believe the anger and frustration in the crowd would be greatly deminished if the games were called a little tighter and emotions on the floor were kept in check. Remember these fans are parents of young adults and are emotionally charged to protect them. If they percieve you are not maintaining control of the game and it is physically getting out of control, you will hear it and with every missed or percieved bad call it will get exponentially loader and more angered. I have heard the ugly ball we play in southern ohio is due to lack of skills, I still maintain it is because the officials allow it. If calling a tighter game would help keep emotions in check and clean up the ugly ball, the fans would settle down, players would not be getting out of control and fighting, and fan -VS- ref battle royals would be a thing of the past.

[blockcharge]

Basketball is an emotional game and I don't think coaches, fans, or officials want to take the emotion out of the game. Just like coaches are paid to think their team is in the right, fans pay their money to see their team and they think their team is in the right. Some players have a lot of talent some are not so talented and I know this is true of any region or county in the state. If 5 people look at the same play you will have 5 different explainations of that play. I don't referee to please the fans, coaches, or players. I referee because I enjoy it, I think I'm pretty good at it, and for the interaction with the players, coaches, and other officials. In the end, we are not as bad as you think nor as good as we think.

nuff said

[ManitouDan]

good points esully . i pretty much agree . on a happier note our varsity game last night was called pretty well. JV wasn't so great (decent) but the varsity guys (don't remember names) did pretty well.

[Esully63]

good points esully . i pretty much agree . on a happier note our varsity game last night was called pretty well. JV wasn't so great (decent) but the varsity guys (don't remember names) did pretty well.

Im not saying the officials are bad. I just believe the way things are being interpreted, viewed and called is not in the best interest of the young athletes, the parents or for that matter basketball itself. There are those night you feel things were called well and I wonder were they exceptional refs or did the athletes themselves control thier emotion and play good soud ball?

[eagles73Taylor]

For the last 4 years I have been able to interact with officials in all sports and at all levels. Let me say, they truely want to do the best they can. I have played, coached, reffed and been a spectator and let me say, watching makes you an expert! lol

Since my days of running around the gym in diapers with my father coaching to today, I can only say with honesty that 1 game stands out where an official made a call blatantly biased against the team I was watching. 1985 phantom bucket at Southeastern Ross!~ lol

[teamworkwins]

I think every fan should be required to ref a game before your able to watch a game LOL. Seriously, it is not as easy as it looks and fans can't seem to realize this. They let their emotions take over and before you know it you are doing things you normally wouldn't do in public like make a fool out of yourself. Try letting someone tape how you act at a game and watch it when you get home. You might be surprised how you act. And tape the biddy ball next John Wooden coaches and let them see how they act. Now that's funny.