Hoops

Advantage/disadvantage is it helping or hindering

For 24 Sec query - the rules as stated - clearly play on. In regard to the more than 3 second violation. There are references to a potential offending player being given time should they be making the effort to clear the paint.
Refs are supposed to see and then call. Therefore they should have focus on the offending player for more than 3 secs making sure that they are not gaining an advantage and are not making an effort to clear the paint. So what about the other players? Chances are that someone is trying to keep the potential offender in the paint whilst yelling How Long? Normally difficult to hear this because the crowd has stopped yelling out Travel! and are catcalling 3 secunZ!
(Most amusing when they confuse the two).

Given that the paint is shared responsibility (both refs are meant to be looking there - Yes means in a 2 man game that there are areas where one of ref's SHOULD have primary resonsibility) if the main focus is being absolutely accurate in regard to more than 3 seconds, THEN WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE GAME? Ball handler with defense and post plays probably deserve at least some scruitiny.
So 3 secs is an aspect that encompasses priority, game flow and advantage/disadvantage. Not easy to get right all of the time.

The game is not Black and White. It is not easy to put into words how adv/disad is to be applied in every single situation which is why there is a training DVD to help officials have an understanding how things should be called. The officials in the video showed they are human because it actually shows them calling incorrectly. The referees are like players, they all make mistakes. So accept that in every game officials will err. When was the last time you shot at 100% or made no turnovers. Most officials call % would be over a conservative error rate of 50%. Most players at all levels would be happy with a 50% shooting %

The rule book needs to be considered in its entirety, not just individual sections. For example, the advantgae/disadvantage principle is clearly stated to apply to both fouls and viloations in the following excerpt:

"47.3 When deciding on a personal contact or violation, the officials shall, in each instance, have regard to and weigh the following fundamental principles:
" The spirit and intent of the rules and the need to uphold the integrity of the game.
" Consistency in the application of the concept of 'advantage/disadvantage', whereby the officials should not seek to interrupt the flow of the game unnecessarily in order to penalise personal contact that is incidental and which does not give the player responsible an advantage nor place his opponent at a disadvantage.
" Consistency in the application of common sense to each game, bearing in mind the abilities of the players concerned and their attitude and conduct during the game.
" Consistency in the maintenance of a balance between game control and game flow, having a 'feeling' for what the participants are trying to do and calling what is right for the game."

So, in summary, don't bother yelling at referees to call a violation when your team has done nothing proactively on defence to earn that violation. For example, a travel in the backcourt, when no defensive pressure has been applied.