How would you grade the basketball referees in Georgia?
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What do you think of the quality of officiating in the state of Georgia for high school basketball?
We’re interested in your feedback. Share your stories and experiences with referees this year.
What did you see that you like? What didn’t you like? The more specific the examples from game situations, the better.
What could be improved upon? How would you make those improvements? (Remember, it’s a tough economy)
Note: Please don’t use this as a forum to randomly bash officiating. I know a lot of good officials, and they do the best they can to get it right. No one is perfect.
Let’s hear what you have to say … and again, the more specific the examples, the better. Please post below.
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115 comments Add your comment
Ivery
February 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
Hey Folks, lighten up! If the regular season is going so bad. The playoffs will be better! Officiating will get better with time, regardless. Got to get rid of the “good old boy” policy first. Bashing has its limits.
REFS are awful
February 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
I went to a boys game in North Fulton and was absolutely embarrassed to be a basketball fan after it. The refs had no control over the game whatsoever. They were way too focused on the fans hollering and screaming than the actual game. Let the students chant and throw insults at players, it may seem rude or unacceptable, but these kids go to school 5 days a week and these games are the usually the only chance they can go out and enjoy a school event. The student fan base helps make the game intense and exciting. So they need to start worrying about the actual game not the fans.
gakat1
February 9th, 2011
9:21 pm
The officiating overall in this state deserves a D. I know a couple officials and one that I consider a good basketball friend. I’m an old guy, having lived in 4 states and seen hundreds and hundreds of basketball games. My official friend is a younger guy that has called many state tourney games and takes it serious, and we discuss calls during a game as spectators. He knows the game and has a cool way of officiating, but readily admits that many don’t know the rules or have biases.
I usually attend 40 to 50 games live each year and it never ceases amaze me that traveling (I guess by bus), Palming (not panhandling), and charging (maybe a bull) are seldom ever called or ever called correctly. But folks, it begins with the GHSA, probably the most inept basketball official group in the Southeast. They have no balls to correct or improve the round ball sport. Only the oblong counts in Ga and that’s just pathetic.
And yes I coached in Ohio many years ago and did some officiating. And yes the Georgia group gets a D only because some guys, like my friend, really try to do a good job, most are terrible, just the facts.
BJH
February 9th, 2011
9:39 pm
9 seconds left, down by 1, shooting one more free throw. ref tells players to get rebounding position as soon as ball leaves shooters hands. OTHER official from across the floor comes in after the shot and calls a lane violation for leaving before ball hit rim. costs us region and rivalry game
veteran ref
February 9th, 2011
10:04 pm
have been reffing for 8 years, and attend alot of games in Cobb County.. You guys are a joke!
@veteran ref
February 9th, 2011
10:35 pm
you are apart of the circus I see every Tues, Friday and some Saturdays!! Cobb County refs suck and you know it! The joke is on you my friend (fake refs) with your power trippin #$%$@! I
BBFan
February 10th, 2011
12:06 am
Basketball referees in general are the worst officials of any sport, and GHSA officials are the worst of the lot. They seem to be in awe of some schools and coaches while having no sense of the rules. I could go on for line after line, but suffice it to say they grade ever lower than softball umpires.
Hugo
February 10th, 2011
12:09 am
I see that South ga is not the only one with BAD REFS. I think if they are monitored it would make a difference.
ty
February 10th, 2011
2:15 am
The referees of today do not know what walking is. If there are three officials they become stationary and do not move with the flow sometimes and actually see what is happening. The biggest crime that all of them commit is they call through the player something they are not in position to call.
d nice
February 10th, 2011
5:22 am
CAPITOL CITY REFS ARE THE WORST OFFICIAL IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA
old coach
February 10th, 2011
6:14 am
I coached basketball for three high schools over a span of 16 years. Most officials did a competent job. However, the officials in the Columbus area were awful. I had them call three-second violations during my team’s first three possessions one night (BEFORE WE EVEN GOT THE BALL INTO THE FRONTCOURT). When I asked about it, I received a technical foul.
Noneya
February 10th, 2011
7:06 am
I know a young official who hands out cards inviting people to become an official when people are overly critical. Some of you should take him up on his offer. I agree the officiating pool may not be of the same quality as previous years but officials are stretched thin. A new school opens every year in Metro Atlanta and that school may have 2 freshman teams, 2 jv teams and 2 varsity games. There are a lot of games and sometimes people pass through and move along faster than maybe they should but what can you do. For people who say they know high school officials who “do it for the money;” I just don’t believe you. High school officials get one check at the end of the year. I have worked 40 games of various levels in a season and the total check would pay one month’s mortgage with some change. Now if you know officials who say they ref rec ball for a little extra money in their pocket I would believe that. Most officials I know really enjoy the game and they work hard in the Summer on their craft by attending various camps. Sometimes I find that the people complaining about the officials don’t really understand the game themselves. Everything that happens on a basketball court that is ugly is not a foul or a violation. I find people don’t understand how and why 3 second violations are suspended. People don’t understand that getting the mythical “over the back” call has to involve contact. Just because you are outjumped doesn’t mean he came over your back. Now the UT/UGA game that was “over the back.” A high dribble is not a carry. The rule is “more than a handshake.” Refs are not inclined to “bail out” out of control players. Meaning yeah you may have been contacted while you were attempting that over the shoulder lay up with your back to the rim after dribbling 90 mph to the basket but I may not give you that call. Control yourself, make a strong move to the basket and if you are contacted more than likely you get the call. Officiating gets such a bad rap but what about players who don’t move their feet on defense and handcheck the entire game. Players that don’t box out. Players that are out of control. The biggest misconception about officiating is that it’s hard to ref a game between “good” teams. Those are the easy games. I can stick anyone in a Milton vs Miller Grove game and they will probably do well because those teams play good sound basketball. It’s harder to ref a bunch of mess.
BB's
February 10th, 2011
8:00 am
My problem with officials is simple. We have this “let them play” culture that thas turned the game into a physical nightmare. What a kid (both male and female) can do in the weight room is often more important than their basketball skills. At 6′2″, 150 pounds in the late 1970’s, I started 2 1/2 seasons on a team that was ranked in the top 5 in the state. Today I might not even make a team. It could be changed, but everyone would have to agree. Call the fouls, especially the bumping and grinding and holding 25 feet and further from the basket. The first few games would be foul shooting contests, but coaches and players would adjust, and we would once again see skill and grace in this most beautiful of games. By the way, not just a problem in Georgia.
Devil Lover
February 10th, 2011
8:27 am
Don’t complain about GA referees until you experience referees in other states first.
This past year I attended a Christmas tournament in Charlotte, NC . To a fault the referees totally controlled the game by calling fouls and other infractions every minute of the game. It was so a noising that both the coaches and fans were yelling at the referees throughout the entire game and of course it took the players out of their normal flow. If I had know before how they would call the game, I would not have made the trip.
My experience this year is that Ga referees have tried to stay out of the games that I have attended.
Basketball Fan
February 10th, 2011
9:22 am
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Last night I saw a kid slide 3ft on the floor w the ball in his hands. No traveling call. Later in the same game, a kid rolled over on the floor to protect the ball. Again, no traveling.
Neither of these would constitute a Traveling Violation unless the player in question attempts to get up off the floor. As for “over the back” fouls, folks there is no such foul in basketball and to my knowledge never has. The principal of verticality does not allow for officials to call a foul just because a player may be taller or just out jump another player. The proper call for what most people refer to as “over the Back” is a push. As the player jumps to gain possession of the ball , he or she makes contact with an opposing player in attempt to gain possession then this would be a foul. Don’t believe me, buy a basketball rules book.
refcity
February 10th, 2011
9:43 am
To the contrary – if a player has the ball in his/her possession while on the floor and rolls over, (while lying on their back roll to their stomach or vice versa) they have committed a traveling violation.
Same Old Mess
February 10th, 2011
9:51 am
Some of the problem lies with the GHSA. Some officals have no incentive to get better because of those who choose who will work the State Playoffs. If you take a look at the last 5 yrs. in the State Finals you will see that one particular official (AC) has been in more than one classification final each year. But then again, he handles assigning officials for those games. And unless you are in his click, you dont stand a chance of getting one of those game. Another reason for the rough play is that a lot of official call both High School & College games and most high schoolers are not use to the physical play that college students are accustom to, and those college officials dont know how to or arent willing to adjust their game to suit HS.
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
February 10th, 2011
9:54 am
@refcity…..thanks for the affirmation.
@BBFan…..same game, a rebounder came down with the ball and slipped (on a terrible gym floor). The same refs called him for traveling.
So what is it smart guy?
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
February 10th, 2011
9:55 am
When he slipped, he fell to the floor (clarification)
Who's the blame
February 10th, 2011
10:23 am
Officiating in today’s environment is a tough job to have. When mainly parents tend to blame their child’s poor play and lack of basketball knowledge on the officating, there is another piece of this puzzle. Poor coaching and lack of player development. At times both the coaches and the player seems to have little knowledge of the rules and simply how to play the game. This causes them and parents to point the finger at the refs. Solution: There needs to be more training for coaches. There needs to more focus on player development and not just on wins. If that happens, you will not notice the refs.
heartofdarkness
February 10th, 2011
10:37 am
Basketball, generally, is refereed like it was a football game in Georgia.
nate from detroit
February 10th, 2011
10:39 am
I played high school basketball. I graduated approx 30 yrs ago and was good enough to get a couple of small college offers. I go to games now and I do not recognize the game that is being played. When did
amateur officials get together and decide to change the rules. I see so many examples of what used to be called traveling, “palming” the ball, and fouls that are never called. I will admit the players now are overall more athletic and bigger, but their fundamentals are weak. Make them play defense by moving their feet instead of handchecking, make them dribble keeping their hand on top of the ball, do not let the big men camp in the lane. I know I sound like some old geezer talking about the good old days but when we played we knew what was going to be called a violation and what was not going to be called. For those of you who say that they cannot call all the violations or the games would take too long, back when we played and they called it tighter we adjusted how we played and high school games lasted 1.5 to 2 hours just like they do now.
ex-college hoopster
February 10th, 2011
10:59 am
Officiating is much worse at all levels, the informal changing of the rules allowing excessive contact, hand checking palming makes a ref’s job purely arbitrary with very little basis in the written rules. It requires much less talent today to be a ballhandler than in the days of Cousy and Maravich (whom I played against). The only rule in hoops today they ain’t no rules.
refcity
February 10th, 2011
11:02 am
Fish – If a player in control of the ball falls to the floor and still has control of the ball then a travel has occurred.
refcity
February 10th, 2011
11:03 am
Same Old – could it be that your skills are limited?
northwest Georgia bball fan
February 10th, 2011
12:41 pm
Of all the sports, Basketball has to be the most difficult. There is no way an offical can see everything during the game. I have witnessed some really bad calls by really bad refs and I have witnessed good calls where the fans are in total disagreement. The only thing i would like to see is better training to create more consistent officiationg. Refs have told me that many calls are judgement calls, but there is no way that traveling, charging, blocking and jump balls should be that far off in the judgement call of officials. I have also seen the same official make the sall call totaly different in the same game.
Officials are there to referee, not to be seen, heard or determine the outcome of a game. Get better training, teach the officials to be more consistant, and grade them more often. I laughed at one game where one of the worst officials i have ever seen was at a game to grade the ones on the court.
in closing, i do beleive that the fans should be more up on the rules of the game and if they are not, sit down and shut up.
coach1
February 10th, 2011
1:05 pm
I am honestly saying I dont n=mind if u missed a few calls, but dont act all smart like u know it all. These Ga officials come into the gym the wrong way. Too many are friends with alot of coaches. They only talk to certain coaches then have the nerve to get an attitude. The male officials act like females.
Old Time Ref
February 10th, 2011
1:25 pm
The refs these days seem to be unable to move with the players. Too much standing around. Then again in my opinion the fault lies with the training. Officials should be evaluated each game and those not passing muster should definitely not be working tournament games. As mentioned above, one particular official who thinks he is God’s gift to BB officiating (AC) should never be allowed to work more than one Classification in the State Tournament. Yet, he does the assignments along with his buddy int he State Office (Mr. Y). They also conduct Summer Clinics that are mandatory for the BB officials if they want to work State Tourney games. However these Clinics are nothing but shams to put extra money into AC & Mr. Y’s pockets. They are a joke. Yes, I worked high school BB in GA for over 25 years. Things started going to the dogs when Mr. Y and AC took things over. The blame for that shoiuld be on Dr. Swearingen. Too many people in it strictly for the money these days. Know very little about officiating. My trainer, an ex-ACC official tarught us in the 60’s that BB Officiating is 90% common sense and 10% application of the rules. Truer words were never spoken. WAKE UP GHSA BEFORE MR. Y AND AC COMPLETELY RUIN GA BB.
refcity
February 10th, 2011
1:30 pm
Old time ref – sounds like sour grapes to me – you probably have poor skills.
Same Old Mess
February 10th, 2011
2:48 pm
Refcity sounds like you could be AC or EY. If so, I will ref circles around both of you. Try turing over the assinging of those games and see if your peers think that you are as good as you think.
chris deighan
February 10th, 2011
4:38 pm
give me a quality two-man crew over mediocre to bad three-man crew any day …
http://www.macon.com/2011/01/12/1405721/with-prep-basketball-three-referees.html
Hit A Single
February 10th, 2011
10:46 pm
Dang if I would referee! With all them fools out there!
OfficialsSuck
February 11th, 2011
6:06 am
Officials across the board, from the pee-wee level to the pros are pathetic. NOT all but most are “SELL OUTS”. Theyre NOT for the kids whatsoever. Theyre for the high profile teams, the juggernauts, the superstar players, the coaches, leagues and/or programs who will keep them on their on-call list. etc etc.
Inconsistent in every way & every game. I hate the excuse if they called every foul it would lead to long games. If they did their job and called every foul the players would STOP fouling because they simply wanna play the game. For example If you wanna stop traveling calls, make the call as often as it happens and the players will learn to play the game correctly or be on the benched. You enforce every violation and the violators will sharpen their skills to avoid penalized.
OfficialsSuck
February 11th, 2011
6:18 am
You enforce every violation and the violators will sharpen their skills to avoid being penalized.
Just Sayin'
February 11th, 2011
10:36 am
You get what you pay for… As for the author (Michael Carvell) of this article, it amazes how you repeatedly report erroneous information. Apparently, you do not attend the games yourself, or you just take whatever information is offered without verifying the facts. What a misuse of the term “embellishment”. Every article that you write about Miller Grove High School is a figment of the coach’s imagination and visions of grandeur. I challenge every (not one) stat reported to you and printed in the AJC. What makes this so pathetic is that it can all be proven by watching the game tapes.
truth be told
February 11th, 2011
12:51 pm
The truth is that some of you have some valid points and some of your comments are just dumb. The rules have changed over the last 20 years. Some of you need to keep of with them as their are rules changes every year. But, for the most part of it, I bet all you complainers teams lost their games. I give the overall officiating a B. Oh yeah, they are always looking for some good officials. TRY IT OUT AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.
bIG TIME fan
February 11th, 2011
12:57 pm
peach state refs get varity games by who they know and not what they can do. i know cause i’m in the association and i see it all the time for the last 12 years. some of you are right, the state needs to jump in and do more to get better efforts.
refcity BEST Friend
February 11th, 2011
1:01 pm
Haven”t you heard the news! GHSA will not have a state tournament this year because AC has retired. Who can do 2 games and replace him? Those are big shoes to fill to match the big ego and big head AC has!
bball guy
February 11th, 2011
2:32 pm
perfect example of fans not having a clue of what goes on in a basketball or the rules. Hey “jsmooth” there is no such foul as over the back. Learn the rules before you start bashing something that you obviously have no idea what you are talking about.
bball guy
February 11th, 2011
2:37 pm
I am a basketball official for about 15 years now. Both in recreational and high school levels. For the ones that are complaining have you ever read a rule book? Have you ever attended a basketball camp. Just because you have played a game before does not make you an expert on how to call a game. We would leave the fans alone if you sat there with your mouth shut and enjoyed watching the game. That is the problem today that everyone is worried about something they have no business involved in. If your child did not like a rule that you had in your household are they allowed to scream at you. Of course not so shut your mouth and teach your child how to be a responsible upstanding citizen.
bball guy
February 11th, 2011
2:47 pm
The referees job is not to tell the coach how a game is going to be called. Isnt that thier job to recognize that and adjust. We will discuss rules with coaches but not judgement calls. Officiating is always easier on the sideline. Officiating is just that judgement and what makes you think your judgement is better than ours. Its funny how you as a fan some 60 plus feet away that you saw a play easier than I did when I was within a couple of feet from the play. Until you have gone through what we do every year and game and actually read the rule book then you really have no leg to stand on. If you think you can do better please by all means get off your lazy a$@ and join an association and see if you can get up and down the court. Until then please keep your mouth shut and leave the officials alone.
bball guy
February 11th, 2011
2:52 pm
HEY FANS, Every contact is not a foul. Who initiated contact? Ask that before and that may help you understand a little but from all of the comments I do not believe that will help at all. Too many angry ignorant and uninformed parents out there. They think their little Johnny is the best out there and they better not call a foul on little Johnny. Wake up parents and fans.
LIL SOM
February 11th, 2011
3:12 pm
I see why there is a shorty of REF. You guys are ruff on a person. I played several years at many level, then went on to REF (f-ball and b-ball)….its not as easy as it seem. You are dealing with the coaches, the fans, and whatever else that is thrown at you. To put up with that; you got to have some love for the game. So to everyone that have a problem them ….they are hiring. And to my VETs (retired) REF…..get off you butts and help your fellow REFs
4 THE KIDS!
February 11th, 2011
3:34 pm
Wow from what I’ve seen in the past few weeks, most of the zebras as I like to call them act like they could care less. There are no consequences to anything they do. The could give a crap less about the kids or the coaches for that matter. Last night I watched a kid kick the ball to another player then run for a easy layup. Wtf? The (officals) didnt call anything. In middle school ball I guess you just go to dicks and get a shirt and a whisle, and show up run back and forth and collect a check?
The biggest problem I have is, the games the kids are playing they will remember them for the rest of their lives. You would think that at least the county could do is supply some Officals that know the dam rules. Give me a break!! I’m not saying all officals are bad but, dont you think some sort of regulation should be put on this? Hell how about a test or background check. I have been very frustrated and its hard to find someone to listen, or complain to. Our kids deserve better than what we are provided for them. Who or what can we as parents do to correct this problem? After all it is all 4 the Kids!!
keep it fair
February 11th, 2011
4:15 pm
It seems that some officials have favorite H.S. teams and it shows in games where the foul count is extremely lopsided. The team that is a crowd favorite gets the calls, all of these kids deserve a fair game. one game to mention was the Miller Grove vs Rockdale game early this season if you have the game on tape watch it. I wont bash any won just keep it fair.
JWooden
February 11th, 2011
5:49 pm
Someone mentioned the refs in FL are better, BS!! I just moved here from Pinellas County (Clearwater), and I can tell you they are horrible there too. Not enough training, not enough credentials, etc. Some do it for the love of the game. My biggest beefs:
1)contact inside no foul, touch outside, foul, 2) Ball fake is called a travel 90% of time now. they all watched the same training film that asked them to concentrate on that call, then they let somebody walk 2 steps going in for a layup and no call. Some kids have worked really hard on ball fakes, and jump stops and these refs who wouldn’t know a good move if they saw it call a walk immediately.
SlovesBBall
February 11th, 2011
6:58 pm
I have played basketball for about 20 years now (rec, HS, and College) and now I am an official (approx. 5 years strong). I can say that my respect for both the game of basketball and officiating completely changed. Despite what many think, it’s a difficult job to have every call you make or don’t make judged but we as officials choose to do it. I personally love the game and look at officiating as my way of giving back to a game that has brought me great joy. It’s not about the money because I assure you that I make much more with my full time job. I appreciate the game of basketball and want players, coaches, and fans to enjoy the game as much as I do. At times I believe that we forget the purpose of the sport.
To the coaches and fans…While I understand that you may have had a bad experience with officials, please understand that there are more good officials than bad ones (I know this from experience as a player). Calling names, cursing, etc. does not change a call or non call, but what it will do is teach players that it’s okay to misbehave and be disrespectful. This is proven over and over again as I see out of control fans, coaches, and players (the apple does not fall far from the tree). I encourage everyone to be a leader regardless of the situation because THE KIDS ARE WATCHING!
Whistle Blower
February 11th, 2011
11:33 pm
I still remember last year’s Quarter finals, Norcross-Milton, and the joke official called a foul on Norcross, when there was NO TIME ON THE CLOCK, and the game was over…. GHSA should have overruled the bas..ard, especially in the State Playoffs….what are the monotors there for anyway? GHSA is a JOKE…JUST LIKE SWERIGAN…time for that boy to move on…
christophorm
February 12th, 2011
1:23 am
a whole lot better than the NFL !
LIL SOM
February 12th, 2011
5:21 am
In reading some of this; many of you are talking about one to two calls. If I can remember, the REF did not call any of those plays, take or miss any shots, turnover, or foul anyone. Depending on what side you are on…….at end of the game, the REFmight have done a good game or a WTF.
NEED SOME EXTRA MONEY……THEY ARE STILL HIRING