Officiating Girls Basketball

[fwoodfan]

My daughter is a senior in high school and has played basketball every season (school and AAU) since the seventh grade. After reading the discussion about the refs in the Beaumont Central/ Lumberton Game thread I started wondering if others shared my ideas about officiating at girls basketball games.  So here goes:

1. The quality of officiating in girls games is poor. Not always terrible, but almost never good.  Usually the best that can be said is that the officiating was bad, but bad calls were made both ways.  This really shouldn't be ok. When I watch boys games the officiating,  on the whole, seems better. Is it because officiating organizations assign their best, most experienced refs to boy's games and give the girls the left overs? 

2. Female refs seem to do a better job of officiating girls games than male refs.  I have seen female refs do terrible jobs, but as a general rule they seem to call a more balanced game and seem to care more about doing their job well.  In contrast I have seen numerous male refs at girls games visually demonstrate that they don't care about how good a job they are doing. They dont pay attention even when they are on the play side and have no clue about simple things like out of bounds calls.  I always feel better at my daughters games when there is at least one female ref.

3. Related to 2.  Male refs seem to have no clue about how to control physical play in girls games.  Most girls games are allowed to become too physical. Refs would rather let the girls play than call hard blocking fouls, reaching fouls, hand checking fouls.  They resort to calling tie ups instead of fouls.  Is it because they dont care or because they arent worried about physical play leading to fights? Or ,is it because they just want the game to end quickly and they try not to call fouls which would slow the game down.

4. Not one game my daughter has played this season has been decided by a bad call, but bad officiating has affected several games.  Bad officiating is more than making a bad call in one or two big situations.  Officials set the overall tone of the game.  This effects the tempo of the game and the level of physical play and therefor the outcome of the game is affected. 

5. Inconsistency is the biggest problem I see.  The three refs on the court often times seem to be watching and officiating different games with different priorities and levels of interest.  Worse, they sometimes seem to wake up for a quarter (usually the 3rd or 4th) and decide to make calls they had been letting go all game.

 

[hjhawks]

Good post...

In defense of officials (some would be shocked to hear me say this), girls games as a whole are a lot tougher to call because a lot of times the contact is so erratic.  By the time it is processed, something else is already happening... As a whole, guys can generally stop and start quicker, and avoid contact that girls simply cannot.  

As with everything, there are great ones, good ones and those picking up a paycheck.  However, most refs are doing it for the right reason.  

[Hagar]

First, my disclaimer that I'm a relatively recent basketball fan, and primarily only when my G'kids play.  I have seen enough to comment on Point 3, specifically how physical the refs allow the girls games to get.  At a game last week I suggested the girls needed helmets & football pads.  Rarely see injuries at boys games, but much more often with the girls, and most from "cheap shots" that you start expecting since some refs don't nip it in the bud.  And yes, late in the 3rd Qtr, refs decide to regain control.  But I'm watching 2A games which is where most refs start, so maybe that accounts for some of it.  Just my opinion.  

[Why not!]

fwodfan since your daughter has played so long and you seem to understand the game, rules, and how they are suppose to be called why don't you become one of them! 

 

A "BASKETBALL OFFICAL".....

[fwoodfan]

24 minutes ago, #2 Cheater said:

fwodfan since your daughter has played so long and you seem to understand the game, rules, and how they are suppose to be called why don't you become one of them! 

HA, HA!  Good question.  I dont have the temper for it, which means that I guess I should give most refs props for keeping a cool head.

[fwoodfan]

20 hours ago, hjhawks said:

In defense of officials (some would be shocked to hear me say this), girls games as a whole are a lot tougher to call because a lot of times the contact is so erratic.  By the time it is processed, something else is already happening... As a whole, guys can generally stop and start quicker, and avoid contact that girls simply cannot.  

Good point.  Hadnt thought about that. That might help explain why the girls games seem more physical.