Think NBA officiating is terrible?

 If I asked 100 people that question 99 would reply yes. 

 And that is truly unfair to the NBA officials on the court.  But for Tim Donaghy, they do as a group do a good job on the court.   It’s understandable that perception is many people’s reality.   But the basis of those perceptions are just wrong.  (This applies to the players as well)

 To properly evaluate an official, you need to understand the rules of the game as well as they do (and most fans and even players and coaches simply do not.  It doesn’t help that broadcasters don’t fully understand them either).  You also need to be unbiased as to the outcome of the game and need to understand game management and in what position the calling official was in.  If you don’t know the difference between the lead, trail and center, you cannot even start to evaluate how the officials do properly.

 Many fans “ball watch”.  That means as the action happens on the court, they watch where the ball is and will be going.   Some will watch a particular player and follow that player regardless if they have the ball.  This is so far from the correct way in which to evaluate what officials are calling.  Officials never “ball watch”.   Officials referee the defense.   That is to primarily watch the actions of the defense to ensure they are in legal guarding position (to determine a block/charge this is almost 100% a must). 

Each official is responsible for a primary area of the court to watch and then has a secondary area.   While watching those two areas of the court, they are responsible for all action on the court between all ten players and the bench.   Conversely, NFL officials are responsible for only a couple rules, players or areas of the field at any one time.

 Without getting into rules (some rules govern minimal to very little contact is a foul while others disregard contact altogether), there also is a flow to the game.   Officials try to determine immediately the flow or tone of the game.   One crew may allow for some physical contact to occur while others allow for very little.  Both are correct and within the rules.  In evaluating the crew and each individual official, you have to possess a strong knowledge of the rules and game management to determine if each contact is a foul or not.

 To the common NBA fan (and this applies to any level of basketball) there are ways to evaluate the officials if you want to.   Most fans don’t, and are content with having the mob mentality that NBA referees are terrible, worse than WWE and any other opinion.   To those people, there will never be any proof offered to go against the conspiracy theories or opinions (wrongly formed in most occasions).   The best way to evaluate officials is to practice the craft.   People who take up officiating are a unique breed.  Who else WANTS to take on a job that nobody will appreciate and everyone can do better?   Most officials do it for the love of the game and not for money.  When you start out officiating, it doesn’t even pay for your uniform or shoes.  Certainly doesn’t pay for the grief you will get.    By officiating yourself or at least trying to, you will gain a better understanding and appreciation. 

 Without getting too technical, there are things the average fan can do to help them determine if the officials are doing their job properly.   And if you want to either convince yourself or dissuade yourself of the opinion NBA refs are terrible, doing these can help you.  

 First, understand that the three referees on the court do act individually calling things in their own areas but act as a group.  They have a crew chief who is usually the more experienced and longer tenured official.    The “lead” is the official on the baseline; the “trail” is usually ball side and the “center” is weak side near the free throw line extended.  In general terms, the lead is responsible for post action; trail is responsible for any action coming from his area to the post, strong side (ball side) and Center is responsible for weak side action and secondary to the post play.  All three are responsible for 3 second and illegal defense calls.  The last shot rulings and goal tending/basket interference go to the Trail and Center.  

 When watching a basketball game you have to be unbiased as to the outcome.  Some fans can do this and others cannot.  It would be best to take two teams you have no affiliation with fanwise.   Take each call and evaluate it even if it is obvious.  Determine which official called it, what position they were in and if the call was correct or not.   You may have to watch it several times on the not-so obvious calls.   And remember, the official has to make the determination immediately and doesn’t get the benefit of  instant replay like the evaluators.  If two officials call the same foul, they each get graded.   You can come up with any grading system.  But knowing the rules, game management, tone (are they letting players get physical or calling everything?), official, official’s position and if the call was correct or not (and not what they usually call or you want to see called) it will go a long way to determine the accuracy of the officials.  Remember the official's angle or line of vision will be different than that of your own watching on TV or in the arena.

 Sounds like a lot doesn’t it?  The NBA goes further.   They can tell you how many block/charge calls Eric Lewis gets correct in the Trail position.  Each official breaks down the tape at half time and after the game, is evaluated on scene, by video, goes through weekly video testing and crew chiefs go over rules with the crew.   There is so much evaluation and training to be an NBA referee.   They are highly scrutinized and trained more than some other professions.  

 Most fans would say that is too much.  They then go by what they think are the rules and what they see.   They have different angles and most often a vested interest in the outcome of the call.    In most situations there aren’t easy comparisons either.  In other words, if there is a missed call on one end of the court, it is a natural instinct that when a foul is called on the other end, the fan will point that out and state the call is a makeup call or superstar call.   Each call (or rule enforcement) has soo many dynamics to it that they aren’t black and white.  And that is where the individual official’s judgment in a split second is evaluated (or wrongly criticized). 

 So next time you are watching a basketball game, particularly NBA, try watching it as an official and see how different the game really is to watch.   In one play, coaches see one thing, players another, officials the entire play from the time it started, and fans entirely different from coaches, players and fans. 

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