Hoops

Michael Aylen - First full time NBL ref

I hope this means that there is also more coaching available so that we can bring up the next generation of officials.

Hopefully this also means than He sticks around for far more years as he is our best and if he isn't then that only adds to the standard of the league

having sat in on some post-game debriefs of NBL and SEABL referees as part of the referee coaching system, many many years ago, I can only say that I'm expecting this to also upgrade the standard of those coaching activities.

My experience is a decade or more old now, but some of those providing the coaching were seriously deficient at times,

Just how well some of the more experienced referees maintained their patience with the floggs was good to see.

Then at other times you would have the referee coaches just suck up to the experienced ref and clearly either consciously or unconsciously not point out some of the most obvious errors.

With the referees going full time i would expect that they will demand better education as well.

You would hope that whoever is appointed will now be able to spend all their time working on those areas and the game itself. Rather than having to juggle there primary employment and squeeze in refereeing. Just from that aspect alone hopefully it will make a difference.

'Improving quality'

Full time referees is a great idea, but let's face it, that idea has only been held back due to financial reasons, now that the league can afford it we can finally employ full time referees.

How can this translate into improved quality?

I think it needs to happen in these areas:

Communication
Understanding
Common Sense
Feel for the Game
Consistency

If we can see even a 10% improvement in these things I will be impressed. Whether one full time referee can make the difference remains to be seen. Until all NBL referees can be full timers, we will always be in transition...

Aylen has been putting the hard yards for years on and off the court. 3 time Olympic ref and gold medal games too. Well done and if he is full time then the pay must make it worthwhile leaving his job ;)

Why is he arrogant? Is it because he doesnt get influenced by the Perth crowds like others do and just calls it as he sees it?

After watching the Olympics I think the standard of our refs are pretty decent compared to them.

His the most arrogant out of them all, good for the league, pity the refs are not up to standard.

Game winner vs. the Clippers today - awkward as hell but it went down.