Let Them Play

This week I want to discuss one of the biggest problems facing the game right now, at both the professional and collegiate levels.  This problem is officiating. Now I know what everyone is thinking,  “here we go, just another guy ranting and raving about poor officiating, can’t he be more original”? But the truth is, I don’t think the officials are the problem; instead I believe it is the way that they are being instructed to call the game, how often and to the extent by which the rules are constantly being changed, and also the disadvantage of everyone now having access to all sorts of replays and enhanced pictures. So sorry to disappoint some people, but hopefully this article comes as a bit of refreshment when talking about the subject and a little bit of a new perspective.

I was recently trying to watch a game and became so frustrated I changed the channel to another game hoping the problem with the first was just limited to the officiating in that game, but to my dismay, he next game was just as bad. IT wasn’t just limited to the games of this one weekend either, almost every game I have watched this season has been just as bad. The problem I’m finding is that there is no flow to a game because there is a foul being called every other time down the court. It is getting to the point where I don’t even know what a foul is any more. I grew up watching the “going to work” Pistons of the early 2000s, this was a team that prided itself on playing great team defense and won a title because of that focus. The way the game is being called today that team may have never made the playoffs because they would have been called for a foul just for playing good defense. Now I am all for highlight offense and watching guys light up the scoreboard, but I am a true basketball fan which means being a fan of both sides of the ball.

I know that the league is more popular than ever and more global than ever, but I think the NBA in particular is cheapening itself by putting such a terrible product out there for fans and casual viewers. By having the game called this way they are opening themselves up to lots of new viewers because it seems exciting and more appealing, but to the “basketball elite” or other longtime fans, this isn’t the real game of basketball anymore.

The second thing plaguing the NBA and college level, is that rules are constantly being changed or enforced differently. As already mentioned, fouls are getting to the point of being ridiculously called, both the frequency and what is being defined as a foul. This is really hurting the college game. This year the NCAA is calling a lot more of the handcheck fouls, and it is bordering on unconscionable the extent to which they are doing it. There was no easing into this either, the rules/enforcement committee demanded that  referees call more of these fouls or at least enforce them more tightly. This seems to move the game to a more NBA style of calling.

Along those lines is the amount of “And 1” calls being made, or what is being defined as continuation. It wasn’t too long ago that a foul on the shot was truly a foul that occurred on the shot. Now, a guy can take one dribble at half court get fouled at the 3-point line and finish at the basket then head to the line for a free-throw. What? Yes, I said he gets a free throw for being able to pick the ball up after the wind blowing on him, take 3 steps, and then make an uncontested layup. This may be a slight over exaggeration (but in all reality, not by much), but the principle here is that the rules have changed so drastically from their original intentions that the rules may as well be rewritten.

BLOW YOUR MIND WARNING: next time you watch a game pay close attention to players when they catch the ball, particularly outside the three-point line. Now, what you are looking for is the excessive amount of travelling that occurs when they receive the ball, pivot/whatever else they do when they catch it, and then come to a stop before moving again. I guarantee you will see a handful or more travels per game.