Hoops

Mal Cooper's halftime comments

"If the league wants a more entertaining package, introduce (ironic, I know!) some rules like clear-path-to-the-basket to promote exciting finishes in the open court."

That rule already exists.

I acknowledge 'advantage' is mentioned in the rule book but I don't see the 'advantage/disadvantage rule' [if it is actually there in those terms, which I sincerely hope it isn't] as a 'rule'. It points, at best, to interpretation. Any decision made on the basis of 'advantage' is most certainly an opinion, which is where we strike the problem; not only because an opinion is always subjective but because it burdens the official with having to make a 'thought through' decision - develop an opinion - rather than making a simple, quick, reactive call based on what he or she has seen.

Simplest is best ... and also clearest and least likely to cause confusion and angst, in this environment.

I agree with Annon. Call the rules as they stand. If you call it, they will change, we saw that at the start of this season (until the refs stopped calling it, anyway).

If the league wants a more entertaining package, introduce (ironic, I know!) some rules like clear-path-to-the-basket to promote exciting finishes in the open court.

@Paul, look at it this way, in football you bump someone, which is legal if it is done correctly.

In basketball you cannot bump, you can take some contact from the offense by standing your ground, but I cannot find anywhere where in basketball the defense can actually bump an offensive player.

Or at least that is what I see the rules are supposed to have us believe...

The worst is when a player gets the ball and is bumped by a defender, only to lose balance and get called for a travel, that one sucks!!

Have been frustrated at the call/no call on travel for some time now.

Officials need to call what is there IMHO, to the best of their ability and using common sense by taking into consideration the state of play, the level of competition and standard they have set for themselves during the game.

To be consistent on travel calls will only serve to improve everyone's enjoyment of the game, playing and watching, so I would like to see it simply called when it is a travel and when it needs to be called.

Under 10's that are still learning the concept need to be coached into it slowly and not be pulled up evey time, but at higher junior levels, adult level and the pro's, got to call it when it's there.

Having said that, I hate the tendancy some officials have to call almost all spin moves, some one has to put a stop to that...

Failure to call travels results in fouls being called on defenders because they have to [or at least are more likely to] resort to illegal tactics to regain their position.

Saw it in Adelaide Saturday night. Steven Weigh made a four-step move to the basket and the defender got called for a foul after Weigh's fourth step. Wasn't the only example of the phenomenon one, but this was a very clear one. If looked that way live, and was reinforced with the footwork crystal clear on the big screen c/o NBL.tv.

However, the issue is probably bigger in mid court than in the paint. Defender makes position to defend or 'direct' the player with the ball based on the established pivot foot only to have the player with the ball take off with the wrong [illegal] foot, often with a couple of steps before the ball is put on the floor, and the defender is immediately out of position and either called for a foul or forced to try to re-position to defend a player who has used illegal footwork to gain an unfair advantage.

Call what's there. At least then the official only has to decide on the footwork, not also decide whether or not the illegal footwork gave the attacking player [in the ref's opinion!] an unfair advantage. Odds are it did, or the rule wouldn't be there in the first place.

The officials repeatedly prove they struggle to make good basic decisions, so why burden them with deciding whether or not something gives a player an unfair advantage? Isn't that how we got into the problems with the un-called contact issue of recent years in the first place? And now we're heading down the same path again?!

Just let's play by the rules and call what's there, then everyone knows what's going on. An error of judgement is an error. An opinion [about advantage or not]is an opinion, and every opinion is valid and equal, whether its the opinion of a ref, coach, player or spectator, so introducing the 'advantage' issue is opening Pandora's box and increasing the risk of more friction between refs, coaches and players. It also provides a 'cop out' line for lack of referee concentration, poor positioning or just plain bad/poor decisions.

Do we really want to go there? I don't.

Now that we've sorted that out (or at least agreed to disagree??) can we get some sort of consistency on the continuation rule?

Wow I have a fan, thanks anon. That's 2 people that have agreed with me on here this year, more than the whole of 2013... Did I waste a whole year?

But seriously, basketball is a very instinctive and reactive sport and that is why we can watch and feel that someone has shuffled his feet, so you appeal for a call, it's not, player puts a shot up, if it misses then you feel justice is served and if the shot drops then refs are normally kinder on the next play if they feel that a 50/50 call could be made.
That play alone isn't perfect but its enough to keep the fans happy enough and we aren't bitching that refs are trying to be too impactful on the contest.

Sad but true the best refs are ones that we don't notice so please don't make calls for the sake of making them

If NBL referees had "feel for the game" in excess we wouldn't be having this discussion...

I particularly hate the travels at the top of the key when most people move their pivot foot. It just looks sloppy. Sure there's no advantage but like a few people have mentioned, where do they draw the line? If they're not going to call these travels then I think they should let go the times when players step on the line.

I was pleasantly delighted by his whole segment, I guess you lose a bit of perspective that referees actually understand the terminology of the game and are fans themselves and aren't basically police that are there to blow their whistle when they see something, so that was fun. He is quite knowledgable as you'd expect from someone who's seen thousands of games!

As for the travel call, all I can say is he is the man with the power and he is wielding it in a way that's trying to produce a far more attractive product. Will the crowd notice travels from both sides and scream blue murder when the opposition does it and whisper to the person next to them when we do it... YES because that's WHAT we DO!
...referees recognize this and expect it and they are well schooled in blocking it out!

As for juniors and referees trying to call games like the referees in NBL, surely that is ridiculous as juniors you don't have dunking and it isn't a spectacle thing (you pay to play and not get paid) so let the juniors adhere to the rules and hopefully learn early about not nitpicking if it will benefit both sides and its not seen to be showing bias

May have missed it but has anyone read his book for reveiws?