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Should the SEC hire and train their own basketball officials?

Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:21 am
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70061 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:21 am
NCAA basketball officals are all independent contractors. There are no conference affiliations for them.

Should the SEC buck that trend and hire their own with the expressed intent of improving the overall quality of the SEC basketball product?

50+ fouls called in the LSU/UGA game made it pretty unwatchable. The SEC basketball product already has enough hurdles to overcome that we don't need the officials being a hindrance.


Please note that this suggestion is made as an attempt to improve overall watchability of SEC basketball only.
Posted by pvilleguru
Member since Jun 2009
60453 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:22 am to
Yes
Posted by sjmabry
Texas
Member since Aug 2013
18495 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:28 am to
No because Kentucky would never lose then.
Posted by DoreonthePlains
Auburn, AL
Member since Nov 2013
7436 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:31 am to
That's surprising. I always figured certain crews work SEC games since I see the same ones so often. I guess that's just a location thing though. The SEC definitely should invest in some quality refs. Every effort should be made to ensure games are decided on the court by the players, not bad calls. They'll happen, but there are way too many now.
Posted by Person of interest
The Hill
Member since Jan 2014
1786 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:32 am to
Anything would be better than what we have now.
Posted by MIZ_COU
I'm right here
Member since Oct 2013
13771 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:41 am to
Then you would have different officiating in the NCAA than what you are used to playing.
Probably an overall negative.
And it will never happen anyway
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70061 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 11:43 am to
quote:

Then you would have different officiating in the NCAA than what you are used to playing.


So you're saying that SEC officials that showed themselves to be competent would not be selected for the NCAA tourney solely because they're SEC officials?
Posted by the808bass
The Lou
Member since Oct 2012
111494 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 12:51 pm to
quote:

Anything would be better than what we have now.

This is what everyone says before it gets worse.
Posted by S.E.C. Crazy
Alabama
Member since Feb 2013
7905 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 1:29 pm to
The NCAA as a whole neefs to get a handle on this inconsistent B.S.

There are multiple problems in CBB, the biggest problem is not addressing the charge block in the correct way.

The charge block rule as implemented 70 years ago was no feet moving BUT the refs back then called caries and travels, now days you can carry the ball at will and take 3 or 4 steps to the basket so naturally the game is played faster. Hence a fast player goes by someone and forces contact by jumping in to a player who is guarding.

Some refs called it, others let them play because the knew who caused thw contact, hence inconsistant refs. They supposedly tried fixing the rule this year by forcing the refs to call more defensive fouls if the offensive players have stared their upward movement LMAO.

Same problem for refs, different rule is all.

Since you aren't goint to call carries and travels,the NCAA should have plced in a simple rule for the outdated blick / charge / feet moving rule A LONG TIME AGO, Who ever initiates the contact should get a foul placed on them,then you might get a passing game returned to CBB instead of small guards dribbling around running over people.

Another stupid rule is rhe stupid half circle down low.

The idiotic jump step should have been addressed years ago, it wemt from players jumping while dribbling to players grabbing thw ball then jumping ( TRAVEL ) but the refs not calling it. HORSESHYT.

HORSESHYT GAME OF INCONSISTENCY.
Posted by heartbreakTiger
grinding for my grinders
Member since Jan 2008
138974 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 1:33 pm to
Yes the sec should, No one wants to watch a game where you have over a foul a minute. it is terrible basketball to watch a free throw contest break out. I believe the sec quality of play would improve greatly if we had better refs. When LSU is allowed to get into rhythm they are exciting as anyone to watch, the same with uk, uf, ole miss, and mizzou. the entire product is much better and easier to gain viewership if you have athletes on display making plays instead of whistles every single minute.

You can't have a ref letting murder happen on the court but you also can't ref like they did last night where every bump and touch is a foul. The best football,basketball and baseball games are the ones where the refs/umpires keep the game flowing at a good pace and let the players actually decide the game for the most part.
Posted by KAVandy05
Nashville, TN
Member since Sep 2011
436 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 2:11 pm to
quote:

Should the SEC buck that trend and hire their own with the expressed intent of improving the overall quality of the SEC basketball product?


Yes, because that system has worked out so well in football
Posted by bona fide
Burma
Member since Jun 2010
8972 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 2:13 pm to
No changes needed.
Posted by JuiceTerry
Roond the Scheme
Member since Apr 2013
40868 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 2:14 pm to
Hell yes. Bama becomes Kentucky!
Posted by RTR America
Memphis, TN
Member since Aug 2012
39600 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 2:17 pm to
No the SEC needs better coaches and to stop losing shitty OOC games.

The officials are fine. Don't play defense with your hands or body and they won't call a foul. It is fundamental defense and players have to adjust.
Posted by notsince98
KC, MO
Member since Oct 2012
17950 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 2:34 pm to
This isn't a question of should, it is when. It is obvious this step is needed and the SEC should do it first since it is the premier athletics conference in the country.
Posted by Surd
Member since Jun 2013
52 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 3:17 pm to
Quick background: My wife was an Acad-All American Point Guard, became a college basketball coach, and then became an official as my job moved us too much (and babies came) for her to continue coaching.

1. You are talking Semantics. Yes, all officials pretty much everywhere in the U.S. are independent contractors. However, the SEC uses a single assigner who utilizes specific officials for SEC games. The assigner works closely with the SEC for training and managing that group of officials. Between every season, the assigner (based on their own evaluations and input from the conference/coaches), may not bring back a few officials and will add a few highly regarded officials working up from lower leagues. However, politics/friendships/reputations, can play, and like everywhere in our economy/culture, assigners can be reluctant to let go of an established official that has slipped a bit. Also, the number of games a ref is assigned can be greatly influenced by the conference and coaches based on who they think are the best officials. If a conference doesn't like the job their assigner is doing in selecting and scheduling refs, they will go get a different assigner.

2. The life of a certified official begins with high school ball (usually JV and lower). As they get better, they'll get varsity games, and then maybe playoffs. Some officials don't like the travel of college, and will stay at the high school level. But a good high school official can get picked up by a lower division (NAIA, JUCO, DIII) assigner. These games don't pay great, and the pay doesn't always even cover travel costs. These levels are putting in your dues of hoping to get picked up at a higher level. Assigners talk with each, and the best officials (or sometimes well connected) get picked up at DII, and then small DI. Finally, the officials that get picked up by the SEC assigner has been officiating for a long time, and has done very well through out their career. Big time DI college basketball pay over $1000 per game (I believe ACC refs make upwards of $3000 per conference game). But this is also the pinnacle (unless they do the flip to NBA), and some officials can lose the drive that got them to the top in the first place. But for the most part, these are the best officials in the country.

3. Officials work extremely hard at their trade. I can tell that from first hand experiece. They film study, and are critical of their own performances, and study their rule books, and get tested annualy. No official has ever, or will ever call a perfect game. Basketball is an extremely tough sport to officiate. The difference between a block and a charge can be fractions of a second.

4. Officials don't make the rules, they enforce them. Every year they have to incorporate new rules (or emphasis) items as handed down by the NCAA and the conferences.

5. I use to yell at officials (especially when my wife was a coach). Watching my wife go thru the process has given me a deep respect for those that do it. Often times, when a fan is upset, it is their own misunderstanding of the rules. The other night, we were watching a basketball game together where the announcers were talking about a "bad" call agaisnt the offense on an illegal screen because the offensive player was clearly set. My wife then explained why the announcers were wrong, because the play was in the backcourt and apparently the rulebook doesn't allow a "blind" screen and the defender needed so many steps to be able to get his head around and see the screen coming. Bottom-line, this happens all the time when we are at games or watching games at home and the fans get mad, and see'll explain why the call was in fact correct. Even coaches have misunderstandings of the rules.

6. Having lived in several different regions, I have noted a difference in the initial development of officials. The Mid-Atlantic was extremely impressive. I haven't been very impressed with the west coast, and she wasn't officiating when we lived in the south so I'm not sure there. I think the ACC and Big East have the best officials, and I attribute it to their system, especially in the first couple years of development and training. It is similar to the South having the best football players. It starts in Pop Warner and high school, long before the kids get to the SEC. If you want better officials in the south, start with how they are being developed as high school officials... and then wait 20 years for that trickle up effect to get to the SEC. Or better yet, stop your whining, sign up to become a local high school official, be good enough to get to the SEC, make a difference while making over $1000/game.
This post was edited on 2/7/14 at 3:29 pm
Posted by tween the hedges
Member since Feb 2012
20238 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 3:19 pm to
I see lsu fans are still upset
Posted by S.E.C. Crazy
Alabama
Member since Feb 2013
7905 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 4:10 pm to
Or the NCAA could get a group together to watch 40 year old tapes of how the game is supposed to be officiated and demand excellence or else.

Sorry about my spelling but I can't see great and when I am on my android I am hopless.
Posted by ProjectP2294
South St. Louis city
Member since May 2007
70061 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 4:13 pm to
quote:

However, the SEC uses a single assigner who utilizes specific officials for SEC games.


This is something I didn't know. Thanks for the insight.

One of the benefits to be had by going to route I suggest is potentially increasing the pay for SEC officials, attracting better talent.

And I'm in no position to be a referee. I was the worst 7 year old girls softball umpire in history.
Posted by BluegrassBelle
RIP Hefty Lefty - 1981-2019
Member since Nov 2010
98898 posts
Posted on 2/7/14 at 4:47 pm to
quote:

One of the benefits to be had by going to route I suggest is potentially increasing the pay for SEC officials, attracting better talent.


A larger issue is how thin NCAA officials are stretched between travel and assignments. And that some of the guys that have been around for awhile haven't exactly adapted to the changes of the game well.
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