Standard for BBall fouls?

Submitted by crg on

 So, I'm not a big BBall fan and really don't watch outside of the UM games (and only recently at that).  However, I have been watching FB for a few decades now and somewhat couch my basis for evaluating officiating in that (and noting here that technical fouls ARE NOT CALLED IN FOOTBALL... just for reference). 

As such, I've found BBall games incredibly frustrating to watch, winning or losing, due to the officiating (specifically, the inconsistency of the calls, game to game and within the same games).  Just tonight - plays with the same amount of contact go uncalled most of the game, then are called, then are ignored. There seems to be an inherent problem with the game when the rules are designed (via the bonus structure) for teams to be expected to commit double-digit fouls per game.  In FB, there is always the issue of holding and PI judgement calls, but normally it's obvious to most of the fans when it should be called (and there are not that many calls per game).

Maybe I'm just not experienced enough in watching/evaluating BBall games, so people with more expertise please chime in.  Is the officiating (generally, not just UM games) really an issue?  Are the calls subject to that much of the whims of the crew (TV Teddy instances aside)?  Is this just a Big Ten officiating trend or all CBB?

Edit: I implied this in the OP, but I will explicitly state here: I am not putting today's loss on the officiating. In games where UM has won also, the offiating just seems inconsistent or at times arbitrary )as though the officials feel that each team should have about the same number of fouls, even if one team is playing less physical than the other).

Tampa 2

February 6th, 2018 at 9:12 PM ^

Refs suck period. I've been a player, coach and a ref in fball and bball. I sucked as a ref cause no matter how hard you try it's impossible to be completely fair.

The Fugitive

February 6th, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^

Game turned when Rahk got a UFC style elbow to his exposed midsection while going up for a layup. White meat on NW reared back for that shot. Fucking coward refs too scared to make the right call.

ScottyP

February 7th, 2018 at 7:18 AM ^

Towards the end of the game, maybe the last three minutes, they called a BS call on D Robinson as well, I am not sure he touched the guy, but I think the ref just anticipated that he was going to and blew the whistle....I just don't get it some times. Refs suck, we just still don't have that guy to take the game over this year, was hoping Charles was going to be that guy, but nope. 

BJNavarre

February 7th, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^

The ballcarrier pushed D Rob with an extended forearm, and Robinson got called for the foul. I don't think that was an offensive foul, but it certainly hasn't a foul on Robinson.

Then one of the next possession's, the NW ballcarrier literally shoves MAAR (or Z, can't remember) to the ground. That was an offensive foul, but no call.

It was frustrating officiating, but we had some soft calls go our way as well. The main issue was too many missed shots & FTs.

Double-D

February 7th, 2018 at 10:17 AM ^

Worse is it’s completely fucked up and cowardly by the refs. We talk about protecting kids? Rahk got mauled with intent. If the refs are not going to protect the players they need to do it themselves. It’s wrong for the game but my next foul would have been a hard elbow to Skullys face.

Mongo

February 6th, 2018 at 9:24 PM ^

when the no-calls underneath are common you need to put in an "enforcer" to jam that shit. For U-M that is Teske and Livers, who never went in the game. Maybe both are injured I don't know, but the coach needs to have someone who matches up underneath and say "f-ing bang the shit out of them until they call the game even up" ... we never did that. Our response was to put the French Puddles in that maelstrom. Bad coaching error and lost the game.

J.

February 6th, 2018 at 9:25 PM ^

Officiating is really an issue, and it’s not just in Big Ten games and doesn’t only affect Michigan. It’s also not the primary reason that they lost today. Referees are influenced by thousands* of people screaming at them. Most of them do the best that they can under the circumstances. The best they can do isn’t very good, and seems to be declining over time. *well, hundreds, in Rosemont.

JWG Wolverine

February 6th, 2018 at 9:35 PM ^

I agree with you. That being said, I consider Michigan Basketball to be my third UM sport behind football and hockey, and don't like the sport as much in general (partly for the reason noted in OP). I've loved Michigan basketball my whole life, but really can't stand watching other hoops unless I have a VERY strong rooting interest for a particular team in the game.

I think it is just an inherent problem with the sport that makes it a lesser sport; It's almost impossible for two people to agree on the amount of contact that should be allowed in basketball on a consistant basis. This is why refs are almost inclined to be a baseline of questionable game in and game out. It's also much harder game in general to officiate as you have to use your own judgement significantly more than just follow a rulebook like other sports. Judgement calls exist in other sports, but not nearly as frequently as basketball.

As other commenters have noted, we got bigger problems to worry about when it comes to Michigan winning games. I trust that Coach Beilein can use this setback as an important teaching moment for this team, and we can finish this season in a very strong way, especially against OSU and in the tournaments!

Go Blue, time to get into full work mode.

jsquigg

February 6th, 2018 at 9:29 PM ^

Basketball is the toughest sport to officiate.  You want to manage flow, but the rules are written and applied in a way that puts judgement in the refs hands quite often.  Like holding in football, you could probably find a foul on almost every trip down the floor if a team shows any defensive effort and intensity.

Lampuki22

February 6th, 2018 at 11:51 PM ^

is by far the easiest sport to officiate.

Its a non contact sport. If you initiate contact or impeded someone’s path (if they got there first) its generally a foul. Traveling is an easy call. Out of bounds is reviewable now. Charges can be tough not impossible to get right Whats hard about officiating basketball? If you played the game you can make 99 % of the calls right without thinking.

Football is dam hard ti officiate. Holding, downfield lineman, grounding, catches!!!. Getting fumbles right, forward progress. Spots!!!? My god. Calling balls and strikes or a bang band play is really hard too. Basketball is soooo easy in comparison. What ate you taking about???

TrueBlue2003

February 7th, 2018 at 12:19 AM ^

and if you don't think so, you've clearly never played.  But that's what makes it so hard to officiate.  Every single drive to the hoop, every single post-up there is contact and the refs have to determine whether the contact was relatively incidental or whether it impeded the offensive player enough to change his path or affect the shot.

Football is really hard too, but there are like 6 refs, each with a different job and section of the field so it's not like that all have all those responsibilities.

They're both hard to ref.  In both sports fan bitch all the time (rightfully).  Gotta overcome it.

Mongo

February 6th, 2018 at 9:29 PM ^

Poole is not tough enough to play those minutes. Where is LIvers and Teske? Poole is too soft to play that role.

Mongo

February 6th, 2018 at 10:14 PM ^

Poole's short shorts and curly-locks hairdo need to change. If that guy wants to make it in the B1G and ultimately in the NBA he needs to get way more bad-ass physical.

TheBlueAbides

February 6th, 2018 at 10:24 PM ^

First of all, we lost this game on our own, sure refs didn’t help but my coaches always said don’t let the refs be a factor. Anyways, it may be a harder game to officiate but it can still be done consistently, just look at the nba. I’m not an nba fan at all but the refs are at least usually consistent

Lampuki22

February 7th, 2018 at 12:01 AM ^

Then whats your opinion of an offense based on moving the ball around the perimeter and taking (mostly) low percentage 3s (and being out of position to get offensive rebounds) vs working the ball into the paint, focusing on matchups ( which vary widely in college ball) and taking high percentage 2 point shots and rebounds and put backs?

Apparently you need a high caliber coach to run the former and teams that are athletic and work for inside shots tend to cheat and get put on probation more often so why bother doing that because the Fab 5 proved it leads to decades of misery.




samdrussBLUE

February 7th, 2018 at 5:45 AM ^

I didn’t notice the refs at all this game. Not one time. But yes, ebbs and flows happen. There are trends within a game. It’s a thing. Always has been.

allintime23

February 7th, 2018 at 5:52 AM ^

When you’re a shooting team and you play against someone that’s going to camp out in a 2/3 you have to hit outside shots. Simpson can’t penetrate like Walton yet and that hurts too. As for the refs, this is how it should be. They called it for the home team. You See that everyplace except for Ann Arbor. I don’t know why?

Bb011

February 7th, 2018 at 10:16 AM ^

The one thing that bothers me so much about basketball is that the refs tend to affect the outcome of the game more often and more severely than other sports. You definitely see it in other sports, but the refs affect the outcome of basketball a lot more often even if not on purpose. It is extremely inconsistant game to game and even minute to minute.