Comments on: Some officiating facts

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

I love the date you’re giving us Mark, it’s stats like these that need to be more public because these are things that are not always easy to calculate and for fans would just take too much time. I enjoy reading them and find this stuff interesting. The tendancy of how officials are going to call a game can really help your team. By knowing these tendancies, it just makes your team that much more prepared, good job Mark.

By: C Milton

C Milton — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

Mark, get over it…are you paying people to get all of this data or are you wasting your own time getting it. I love reading this blog, but sometimes you just go over the edge. Just stick with the stories about hangin with the big wigs or how you got your start and leave this stuff to all the other people.

By: Ras00ta00man

Ras00ta00man — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

I think it would be very interesting to see if there is a team breakdown as well. For instance, can we assemble concrete data that the Lakers have fewer fouls called against them than there opponent regardless of officiating crew. or that specific officiating crews alter their historic tendncies while officiating a Lakers game. It just infuriates me when Shaq can barrell into people, draw contact and get the foul, but when he flails his arms or slams into players in position for a rebound there is no whistle. It seems as if when the game is called well the Lakers have a much tougher time. PS flop artists like Malone and Miller will never have the respect of true fans.

By: Chango

Chango — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

ADMITTING that the refs keep track of the # of fouls superstars have so that they don’t foul them out.

ADMITTING that they understand the need for tv ratings/superstar preferences.

ADMITTING that this means games are affected by who is playing on what team.

If the games are essentially rigged for certain teams (teams that b/c of their superstars shouldn’t NEED the extra help anyway), and if the fates of teams depend not just on talent but on TV ratings, market size, merchandise sales, and such referee directed game results – WTF SHOULD ANYONE WATCH ANYMORE?

Baseball has its ridiculous moving strike zone & the NFL’s penalty calling has been questioned before (though they do the best job of trying to account for it IMO). The NBA takes the freaking cake with this crap, though.

For a 30 year ref to come out and finally admit what we really knew was true, is just insane.

By: JD Lasica

JD Lasica — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

Great data, Mark. Haven’t seen this anywhere else.

Any predictions on whether the league will fine you for the implicit criticism, given their domineering tendencies?

Glad to see the Pistons advance to the Finals. Hopefully they’ll stand a chance against the forces of evil.

By: DeepT

DeepT — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

“Conclusions from all of this ?
More fouls are called in the playoffs than in the regular season,
but fewer shooting fouls are called.”
Question: What is the price differential for advertising for Reg season v. playoff games?
By calling more fouls during playoff games are the games extended in length therefore allowing for more ad revenue?
I don’t have a clue but I am sure you do.
Can you comment on “The Line” or would that be crossing the line?

By: Bob Ondash

Bob Ondash — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

Refs want to know the number of fouls a player has, because they don’t want to foul ANYBODY out on a touch foul. I don’t blame them. That’s a reasonable human instinct, and among the many things in basketball that resist purely rational analysis. They take an enormous amount of criticism if they do foul somebody out on a touch foul, especially a player integral to a team’s and the league’s success. I’d hate to see Dirk fouled out because he put his palm on somebody’s back for an instant.

I don’t think it’s a good thing to take all subjective elements out of NBA reffing — e.g., make-up calls, keep-the-game-under-control calls, let-em’ play non-calls when it keeps a good flow going, superstar benefit-of-the-doubt. That flexibility adds more than it detracts.

If superstars such as Shaq get an extra margin of respect from the refs, yes, it does tilt some games in their teams’ favor a little. But it’s not as if he hasn’t earned that respect over the years. That’s part of what makes the NBA such a fascinating spectacle, and gives it dimensions beyond just a glorified college basketball league. That tendency to give special treatment to extraordinary people, especially when they’re ultimately your meal ticket, is so ingrained in human nature; to beat it completely out of the refs would with it eliminate much of what is wisest in them.

By: ryan

ryan — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

The number of fouls called in a game is more indicative of the type of players/teams playing (jump shooters vs. transition vs. grind it out etc.) than who’s calling the game. Players and fans alike should figure this out.

For example, Shaq as the prototypical grind it out player will always generate a lot of calls (both offensive & defensive) because he’s always creating a lot of contact. In contrast, you don’t see Fred Hoiberg making a lot of trips to the line.

A more meaningful exercise would be to do a statistical analysis (scatter, linear regression, whatever) of fouls per game called by radial distance from the basket. If performed on a team-by-team and ref-by-ref basis this might tell you who’s really over or under calling fouls. Be sure to remove obvious outliers and remember this should be valid for both shooting and non-shooting affairs!

Of course if I were you I’d just go fishing.

By: Joe Corey

Joe Corey — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

NBA “product” is pathetic on all levels – from coaching to playing to calling fouls. If the refs truly called penalties, the games would last six hours and feature a majority of that time trying to pass the ball inbounds and on the charity stripe. Players do not know how to play. I remember my wonderful days in Midget league basketball and none of us got away with the travels, fouls and 3 second calls. And if the refs didn’t catch it, our coach did. And he let us know that’s not the way you play. It is a shame that basketball seems to be the one sport where the game gets sloppier as players go from peewee to the NBA. If it looks cool, you don’t get called. It is frustrating to watch the game knowing that the players have so little respect for the rules. If you want to teach your kids how to play, don’t show them NBA playoff highlights.

By: Vale

Vale — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 11:00:06 +0000

Fascinating information. Stern wants the Lakers too win. He does, come on, he probably tells the officials to not call fouls.