Blogger vs. the World: Chapter Three--a round table conversation; Sub-Par Officiating

 
Blogger vs. the World: Chapter Three--a round table conversation; Sub-Par Officiating



   I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who firmly believes that college basketball officiating is adequate.  I would think that most of the basketball-watching community actually feels as if the officiating is very poor in the NCAA.  The sad truth is that the officiating in college basketball is bad.  Countless times this past NCAA basketball tournament the referees made atrocious calls, some of which all but determined the outcome of the game.  An example of a crucial blunder by the officials happened in the Final Four match-up between Wisconsin and the then-undefeated Kentucky.  With less than three minutes to go in the game, Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes drove to the basket to try to get a game-tying bucket.  His shot was seemingly blocked and the shot clock had hit zero.  Naturally, one would think that since the shot clock had expired, the whistle would be blown and the ball given to Kentucky.  This was not the case, Hayes put up another shot and it went in the basket.  To the surprise of everyone watching the game, Wisconsin fans included, the basket was counted, and the game was tied.  This goof by the officials rattled the Kentucky players, as they never regained their lead and suffered their first loss of the season.
     With the harsh reality that these officials are terrible at their job setting in, one must consider what can be done to keep the  refs from determining the outcome of the game.  For starters, the governing body that sets the rules and standards for basketball should clarify some of the rules so there is no grey area between what is or is not a foul or violation.  Secondly, the number of referees officiating during a game should increase from three to four.  This way, there would be one more set of eyes looking to make the proper calls that would have otherwise been overlooked.  Lastly, the NCAA should develop an impartial video review headquarters in a neutral location.  This headquarters would be equipped with every camera angle available and would be monitoring all of the games being played at any given moment.  This way, if the referees on the court did not know what to do about an important call, they could call up the people in this neutral headquarters to make the correct call for them.  Likewise, the officials in the neutral headquarters could call for a review of play that the on-court officials missed.  To be clear, this idea is not my own.  The NHL has established and uses this technique in order to make the correct call every time.
     It is clear as filtered water that something needs to be done in order to improve the pitiful officiating that goes on in college basketball.  Who knows what the solution will be, but we can all agree that sports are awesome and the officials should not determine the outcome of the game.
   
Until next time, this is Kevin Freestone, signing off.

                                                                                    This picture shows the video review center that
                                                                                    the NHL uses to ensure the correct call is made.

Source used: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/04/refs-kentucky-wisconsin-shot-clock-charge-flagrant-foul