The current state of officiating...

[Flacusian]

In an age with copious instant replay and slow motion it becomes immediately apparent that there is no consistency in the manner in which fouls are called in todays college basketball games. There isn't even continuity between a first half and a second half, never mind between separate games and conferences.

Scoring only occurs sporadically and defense seems to rule the day. Hard contact by defenders is allowed with impunity on a constant basis. The replay and slo mo leaves not doubt whatsoever that the type of contact that once upon a time constituted a foul is now ignored. On our team nobody pays a greater price for this seeming lack of give a stuff when it comes to calling games than Rak. He is relentlessly bodied up, pushed, shoved, elbowed, slapped , kneed and tied up down low and that's what is happening prior to him even getting the ball while he is trying to establish position down low. Once he gets the ball the double and triple teams appear instantaneously and the veritable assault really begins in earnest.

It's shameful. And I say this not just because I'm a Syracuse homer... (which I freely admit I am) but because it detracts from the game as it was meant to be played. I really don't know how Rak endures it for the full 40 minutes game after game. If it were me I'd surely go postal at some point and morph into Ron Artest for as long as it took to take out everyone with a vertically striped black and white shirt and a whistle. For God sakes... let the kids play basketball and clean up the freakin college game.

Thank you all kindly for allowing me to maniacally rant on this topic.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

I thought tonight's game was fine. Sure you could nitpick certain things but the refs kept the game moving. Game was over in less than 1:40. You can't beat that.

 

[jordoo]

That last no call against BJ in this game was on w crazyvlevel. They showed the replay and just like in real time Odio went through his body and then hugged him in the air. NO CALL? Rak will love it in the NBA 1on1 where they call fouls.

 

[Ghost]

It's just strange. College basketball officiating is garbage.

They'll call a foul on any block on a dunk attempt (see white dude on BC called on the cleanest block ever). However, you could pull a wrench out of your pants, slam it down on Rak's arms, and that spit would not be called a foul.

Cooney got a flagrant in his favor for what exactly? Because he grabbed his wrist? The officials all suck!

 

[nyhc666]

It's just strange. College basketball officiating is garbage.

Cooney got a flagrant in his favor for what exactly? Because he grabbed his wrist? The officials all suck!

he got pushed in the back with a right forearm

 

[cuseinseattle]

I don't think officiating changes until refs are held accountable. All coaches are asked about every decision they make and they question decisions made by 19 year old kids. Refs should have to sit in front of the press and be forced to explain decisions they make. Then maybe they would change how they do things.

 

[longtimefan]

I don't think officiating changes until refs are held accountable. All coaches are asked about every decision they make and they question decisions made by 19 year old kids. Refs should have to sit in front of the press and be forced to explain decisions they make. Then maybe they would change how they do things.

Won't happen under the current set-up, where officials are deemed "private contractors".

Colleges/conferences can't afford or are unwilling to pay them as employees, as the NBA does.

 

[Kevind13]

I don't think officiating changes until refs are held accountable. All coaches are asked about every decision they make and they question decisions made by 19 year old kids. Refs should have to sit in front of the press and be forced to explain decisions they make. Then maybe they would change how they do things.

Never going to happen but I agree.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Won't happen under the current set-up, where officials are deemed "private contractors".

Colleges/conferences can't afford or are unwilling to pay them as employees, as the NBA does.

Unwilling. They can certainly afford paying them...of course the refs have pretty good gigs, so they might want the current system to stay. Cuse native Pat Driscoll gets to work all these games and still collect his 6-figure salary from his ft job.

 

[OttoMets]

I enjoyed the pace of the game, but the officials are a disgrace (this is always the case but especially when Michael Stephens is in the house). Flagrant on Cooney? No foul on the B.J. dunk attempt? The ongoing assault on Rakeem (War on Christmas?)? Cooney traveling on 90% of his catches?

Over the course of over a decade, officials let more and more go. Now it's all inconsistent and the game is a mess.

 

[jordoo]

I enjoyed the pace of the game, but the officials are a disgrace (this is always the case but especially when Michael Stephens is in the house). Flagrant on Cooney? No foul on the B.J. dunk attempt? The ongoing assault on Rakeem (War on Christmas?)? Cooney traveling on 90% of his catches?

Over the course of over a decade, officials let more and more go. Now it's all inconsistent and the game is a mess.

Don't get me started on perimeter guys traveling on the catch. Its constant and pretty much never called.

 

[Alsacs]

Hire the damn refs pay them 100k per season. Make the conferences foot the bill and hold them accountable. It is nuts how much travel these refs do each week to call 4-6 games per week. The major conference refs make about 1k per game and travel reimbursed and call as many games as they can.

If the ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big XII, PAC-12, American, A-10, Bjg East pooled resources to hire 200 refs their could be accountability.

Instead each Big Monday we get Michael Stephens, Brian O'Connell switching the ACC game and Joe Derosa reffing the Big XII game and TV Ted Valentine and Gene Sterotore calling the Big Ten game EVERY damn Super Tuesday it seems. I swear Sterotore and Valentine look at whatever the B1G Super Tuesday game is and demand to call it for TV exposure.

I hate when I know a ref it means they suck.

 

[TinyManInside]

I enjoyed the pace of the game, but the officials are a disgrace (this is always the case but especially when Michael Stephens is in the house). Flagrant on Cooney? No foul on the B.J. dunk attempt? The ongoing assault on Rakeem (War on Christmas?)? Cooney traveling on 90% of his catches?

Over the course of over a decade, officials let more and more go. Now it's all inconsistent and the game is a mess.

Cooney travels almost every time he catches the ball.

 

[OttoMets]

Cooney travels almost every time he catches the ball.

He takes three steps on virtually every catch on the perimeter. And he's not the only one.

This game is so much uglier than it used to be.

 

[MSOrange]

He takes three steps on virtually every catch on the perimeter. And he's not the only one.

This game is so much uglier than it used to be.

I was wondering if that was just me that noticed that with Trevor. I'm surprised it's not called - because it has to be pretty obvious if I can see it.

 

[jordoo]

He takes three steps on virtually every catch on the perimeter. And he's not the only one.

This game is so much uglier than it used to be.

If a shooter comes off a screen moving to catch a pass they generally travel about 80% of the time whether they shoot or do not doesn't seem to matter. Meanwhile every game a post player gets called for a travel using excellent footwork because its so rare and then you get 2 a game on the quick first step from the perimeter when they do dribble before lifting the back foot (pivot foot), I guess this it because it just happens to fast for the refs. On the perimeter guys take 3 steps, then readjust their footing before finally changing pivot feet and nothing is called.

 

[Flacusian]

If a shooter comes off a screen moving to catch a pass they generally travel about 80% of the time whether they shoot or do not doesn't seem to matter. Meanwhile every game a post player gets called for a travel using excellent footwork because its so rare and then you get 2 a game on the quick first step from the perimeter when they do dribble before lifting the back foot (pivot foot), I guess this it because it just happens to fast for the refs. On the perimeter guys take 3 steps, then readjust their footing before finally changing pivot feet and nothing is called.

Good points Jordoo. The pace of the games is frenetic but there are many calls that both should.. and should not be made. The officiating has a very tangible effect on the game.

 

[jordoo]

Good points Jordoo. The pace of the games is frenetic but there are many calls that both should.. and should not be made. The officiating has a very tangible effect on the game.

And its deplorable, no doubt about it. I know people will complain bout pace but they need to start over with paid refs, that have regular reviews and are graded on every call. Better grades equal more money and being able to do conference tourneys and the big tourneys. It would really slow the game down the first season because so many fouls and travels are not called but it would be great by mid season 2 IMO.

 

[Flacusian]

And its deplorable, no doubt about it. I know people will complain bout pace but they need to start over with paid refs, that have regular reviews and are graded on every call. Better grades equal more money and being able to do conference tourneys and the big tourneys. It would really slow the game down the first season because so many fouls and travels are not called but it would be great by mid season 2 IMO.

I wholeheartedly agree!
I turn 59 next week and I've been bleeding Orange since 1973. It's crazy, but with the passage of time you don't really notice the subtle changes in the game and then one day you have the sudden realization that this isn't the same game you fell in love with back in the day. Sooooo much has changed. I'm grateful that I was around and really paying attention during the time of the rise of the Big East Conference and all of the epic battles and rivalries that were associated with it.

Aside from the officiating which we all agree has had a HUGE transformational impact on the game, there is also the fact that the best talent is bled from the college ranks on a yearly basis. The one and done phenomena has robbed us from seeing the developmental trajectory of the most talented players. It also truncates the amount of time that we bond with many of the best players who are only briefly wearing our favorite teams uniform.

I remember thinking how horrible it was when Pearl left after 3 years!... Sheesh, in todays game he is around 1 season tops. But I think one of the worst aspects of the game has been that the scoring has become so limited and the flow of the game which used to be a thing of beauty to watch has transformed into what seems like one frustrating situation after another. College basketball has also become big time $$$$$ and not earmarking some of the monies generated by the sport for insuring that the officiating is of the caliber which protects the integrity of the game is a travesty.

 

[Ghost]

I enjoyed the pace of the game, but the officials are a disgrace (this is always the case but especially when Michael Stephens is in the house). Flagrant on Cooney? No foul on the B.J. dunk attempt? The ongoing assault on Rakeem (War on Christmas?)? Cooney traveling on 90% of his catches?

Over the course of over a decade, officials let more and more go. Now it's all inconsistent and the game is a mess.

Yeah, spot-on. I've also never understood the whole, let them play in the first half, then call everything in the second philosophy (or vice versa). It's just confusing. Just call the game straight up - everyone can deal with missed calls, but having an entirely different set of rules for each half is just bizarre. It still amazes me at times the titanic shift that occurs from half-to-half in a few games each year.

 

[Briancuse]

The problem is these guys are doing too many games over the course of the season, these guys are doing 4 or 5 games a week all in different cities, and these are not young men. 18-22 year olds only play twice a week, why are these much older men working all of these games over the course of a year?

 

[Cowtown]

I don't think officiating changes until refs are held accountable. All coaches are asked about every decision they make and they question decisions made by 19 year old kids. Refs should have to sit in front of the press and be forced to explain decisions they make. Then maybe they would change how they do things.

How do you propose to do that? There are approx. 400 call/no-call decisions to be made in a game. Have you any idea how much time that would take? And who would they "explain themselves" to? Disgruntled fans who a.) sit in row 313, b.) drink 5 domefoams a game, and c.) have never seen the inside of a rule book?

:rolling:

 

[Cowtown]

Won't happen under the current set-up, where officials are deemed "private contractors".

Colleges/conferences can't afford or are unwilling to pay them as employees, as the NBA does.

You're certainly on to part of the problem with trying to compel consistency. As I've mentioned before, there are approx 350 Div I mens teams, approx 280 Div II and over 300 Div III, Then there's the NAIA with over 260 teams. Now double those numbers to include womens' teams, and we're starting to see the magnitude of the situation. The NBA has what, 30 teams? And they also have about 65 referees to train and manage. MUCH easier job.

 

[tptcuse]

You're certainly on to part of the problem with trying to compel consistency. As I've mentioned before, there are approx 350 Div I mens teams, approx 280 Div II and over 300 Div III, Then there's the NAIA with over 260 teams. Now double those numbers to include womens' teams, and we're starting to see the magnitude of the situation. The NBA has what, 30 teams? And they also have about 65 referees to train and manage. MUCH easier job.

As long as they don't start importing refs from Canada...

 

[Cowtown]

... there is also the fact that the best talent is bled from the college ranks on a yearly basis. The one and done phenomena has robbed us from seeing the developmental trajectory of the most talented players. It also truncates the amount of time that we bond with many of the best players who are only briefly wearing our favorite teams uniform.

You said a mouthful there, Flacusian. I think we all know better skilled players play better, make better decisions in games, read the play and the refs better, and make better adjustments sooner. But they are at a premium these days. So often, the players trying to develop lack the benefit of their leadership. So ultimately the games are played by lesser skilled and inexperienced players, making the game more inconsistent in every dimension of it - including the officiating.

And thanks for letting me sound off a little, too.