What's Up With NBA Officiating?

[2006Skins]

Is it me or have the refs gotten very soft on all of the players? It seems for the past 5 years or so each year you get away with less and less. I remember when Shaq would go toe to toe with David Robinson and they would beat the tar out of each other. Now you can't sneeze on a player without them crying about a foul. What's next, little buzzers for any time someone is touched? Who is to blame here? I really place a lot of the blame on the European players. Ever since European players have poured into the league, that's when the flopping god out of control. I really think this takes a lot away from the game.

[Touchdown Redskins]

I wouldn't put it all on the European players. The thing is, it's necessary to a certain degree. Players are getting bigger and faster, and that means that it can get into a slugfest at times, which in turn makes the game slower, and that means ratings go down. The league is trying to keep the game fast, because fast is fun.

However, I will agree with you that the league cannot differentiate between a hard foul and a flagrant foul anymore. If a player is going to your rim, and you put him on the floor, it shouldn't be an automatic flagrant foul. A flagrant foul to me is something intentional, such as what Roberty Horry did to Steve Nash. What Al Horford did to TJ Ford earlier this year wasn't intentional, so it shouldn't have been a flagrant foul.

[Raub]

They're trying to increase scoring. I think the biggest difference you're noticing is the no hand-checking. In the early and mid 90s, it had gotten out of control. If you remember the Pistons and the Knicks from that era they played games that ended up with scores in the 80s. No one wanted to watch it. They did away with illegal defenses, sort of allowed zones, and put the restricted area under the basket. I wish they'd make the court bigger and expand the lane to the size they use in international ball. Spreading the court out would really free up the game more.

[Chachie]

I believe there were some rule changes a couple years ago that now favor the offensive player by a mile.

You have to really be light on your feet to play good D now.

[NewAgeSkins]

way too many fouls... every time Lebron James drives to the basket, its a foul.

What I hate even more is, a player jumps in the air, and someone runs under his feet, effectively under-cutting him, and they call a charge.... WTF?!

[81artmonk]

It's really insane how poorly they call games. I've heard excuses that the game is so fast that these guys have a tough job. Yeah, maybe.

But 3 steps to the basket in my book is still traveling. Which they don't ever call anymore.

Heck I was watching a game with the lakers the other night and this guy was posting up a laker and spun to go to the hoop and before he spun the laker backed off taking away his leveridge, and basically the ball handler stepped back about 2 steps before spinning and subsequently ran into the laker and they called the foul on the laker. Now isn't two steps without a dribble traveling??

But my all time fav is when refs don't make a call in the 1st half of a game, which allows the players to play alittle rougher than they normally would, than in the 2 nd half they start the ticky tack calls.

IMO the refs for the NBA are the worst of any sport!!

[gbear]

I was shocked that they called Lebron for a walk last night as he spun to go to the basket from the free throw line..from his look after, so was he. :laugh:

[StillUnknown]

my biggest problem is the inconsistency. its clear that certain players get calls all the time.

if you're going to call a tight game, be consistent

if you're going to call a loose game, be consistent