Is basketball getting to physical?

[gh123]

If you cant take the heat: GET OFF THE FLOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hardhitter ll]

Too physical, no. I know the rule I think needs to be enforced is one of the least physical. The "flop." Too many coaches are teaching their players to do this. It is as soft as soft can be in my opinion. I think it should be a technical foul on the coach when one of his players does it.

[theassassin]

outofbounds you sound like an official with that advantage/disadvantage talk... maybe you do rules interp meetings??? not sure but i dont think that is what a lot of those saying it is to physical are talking about... maybe i am wrong on that though. after reading this thread i think they are talking more about the banging around for position inside and the "knocking down cutters".
as for too many over the back calls... what if that "little bump" stops a rebounder from making a quick outlet pass? was there an advantage gained by the defense?
someone else mentioned the ticky tack hand check... if that hand check slows an offense player on his drive to teh basket did the defense gain an advantage?
you bet they did... in both instances.

imo... not calling the hand check or "carrying" or "palming the ball" are bigger areas of concern. 3 seconds is another call that is a rarity in todays game. seems as though officials are basically changing the rules of the game without rewriting the rule bookl.

someone mentioned "good officials try not to foul out the best players".... are you saying the best players can get by with more than a lesser player???? i hope not.... that is really sad if true.
it really bothers me to hear officials talk about "letting the players decide the game" especially in the tournament. that is terrible. if its a foul in december it should be a foul in march. if it a foul in the 1st minute of the game it should be a foul in the final seconds.
i agree about the lose balls and players diving on top of other players. that shoud be a foul.
one other thing i want to say.... the defensive player doesnt have to be plowed over to draw an offensive foul. all about position and selling the call to the officials.
i will now step down off my soapbox or whatever that old saying is.

[Out of Bounds]

outofbounds you sound like an official with that advantage/disadvantage talk... maybe you do rules interp meetings??? not sure but i dont think that is what a lot of those saying it is to physical are talking about... maybe i am wrong on that though. after reading this thread i think they are talking more about the banging around for position inside and the "knocking down cutters".
as for too many over the back calls... what if that "little bump" stops a rebounder from making a quick outlet pass? was there an advantage gained by the defense?
someone else mentioned the ticky tack hand check... if that hand check slows an offense player on his drive to teh basket did the defense gain an advantage?
you bet they did... in both instances.

imo... not calling the hand check or "carrying" or "palming the ball" are bigger areas of concern. 3 seconds is another call that is a rarity in todays game. seems as though officials are basically changing the rules of the game without rewriting the rule bookl.

someone mentioned "good officials try not to foul out the best players".... are you saying the best players can get by with more than a lesser player???? i hope not.... that is really sad if true.
it really bothers me to hear officials talk about "letting the players decide the game" especially in the tournament. that is terrible. if its a foul in december it should be a foul in march. if it a foul in the 1st minute of the game it should be a foul in the final seconds.
i agree about the lose balls and players diving on top of other players. that shoud be a foul.
one other thing i want to say.... the defensive player doesnt have to be plowed over to draw an offensive foul. all about position and selling the call to the officials.
i will now step down off my soapbox or whatever that old saying is.

Assassin....great points and you are privy to you're opinion. You're examples are just that. It is a judgment call on all of your examples. Once again, advantage/disadvantage. The hard thing about calling 3 seconds and palming/carrying the ball, is it has become natural for most of the players to carry the ball. It is part of the evolution of the game. Unfortunate...maybe....but a fact. Once you call it, it must stay consistent all game. Very tough to do. Most officials can talk players out of the lane and most players listen. Once again....if the game was called strictly one hundred percent by the rule book, I guarantee fans, coaches and everybody would hang the official after the game and the abuse on here would be almost as bad.

[southernohiofan]

i dont think its to physical, but i really think the officiating needs to be more consistent, for instance team A has the ball and team B is being physical by handchecking,kneeing,bumping no foul is called then when team B has the ball team A playing physical just like teamB and they are called for a foul. if its a foul on one end then its a foul on the other end

[jeepmadness]

It seems to me that the only ones worried about the physical play are the fans. I bet the players dont mind it. As for the hand checks, jamming cutters, and pulling jerseys, that has been going on since basketball has been played. And if you say that when you played that you didnt do any of those things, I will be the first to call you a liar.

[Lightle04]

I think that if you call the fouls consistantly the coaches and players will adapt to it the same way they have when the hand check,palming,traveling,bumping the cutter,and moveing screns are not called the kids and coaches will continue to play the way they are if its not stopped by the official as a player or coach your thoughts are on winning.Call it tihgt they will back off call it loose and it will get phisical its totaly on the officials.

[theassassin]

^^^good post lightle

[Out of Bounds]

I think that if you call the fouls consistantly the coaches and players will adapt to it the same way they have when the hand check,palming,traveling,bumping the cutter,and moveing screns are not called the kids and coaches will continue to play the way they are if its not stopped by the official as a player or coach your thoughts are on winning.Call it tihgt they will back off call it loose and it will get phisical its totaly on the officials.

I agree to some degree.....my point I am trying to make is, all that is fine and dandy. But it will be a horrible game to watch. Another thing to remember is...the teams that have size and athletes play more physical. They usually don't cry and moan about physical play. If you want to advance in the tournament, where you will face the better teams, you had better start teaching physical play in the summer. You guys may not like it....but that is what the game has evolved into and sports don't take steps backwards. Players are bigger, stronger, faster. The little bumps are now big bumps.

[Champs2006]

Basketball has gotten way too physical. But with most programs implementing weight and agility programs, this will continue to get worse. No point in crying, though, just PLAY THE GAME!

With that being said, I think the major issue has become the inconsistency of officiating. It is bad at every level. I don't know how many games I have watched where someone will get hammered on one end and a slight hand check is called on the other. My favorite call is the "and one", old fashioned three point play where the official anticipates contact, blows the whistle and counts the basket even though the offensive player was never touched. Some officials think that fans pay money to watch them officiate!

Because of the officiating discrepancies, coaches have learned to coach a more physical style with the mentality of "they can't call 'em all!", and the officials philiosophy has become, "We'll let the players decide the game."

Physical or not, it's still the best game on earth.

[91blue14]

quite frankly

[qualified101]

it's just simple evolution of the game. if you don't like watch 40-50 point games, how do you like watching games with 30 fouls on each team. officials need to let some physical play go. it's simple advantage/disadvantage. i hate to see over the back calls when the kid tries to back off and just makes some contact that doesn't disrupt the play at all. simple no harm no foul. let them play!

there is no such call as "over the back" in basketball. it always cracks me up when people yell this at bball games.

[91blue14]

yeah i know what you mean

[91blue14]

steven a. please answer this one.

is it a foul if contact is made

basketball wants no harm, no foul didnt disrupt the play. isnt that football

[Out of Bounds]

there is no such call as "over the back" in basketball. it always cracks me up when people yell this at bball games.[/quote]

Yes it's a push, you're splitting hairs with that one.

[qualified101]

but it goes to show how much the avg fan knows about the rules.

does the avg fan know that if an offensive player goes around a pick out of bounds without the ball and comes back inbounds, its a violation. no.

heck, most officials dont know it.

i agree consistency is a big issue.

[crazymidgets]

Good posts on this, as Lightle said players and coaches will adapt to how the game is called, and personally if they dont then they should be sitting on the sidelines, the good players the smart players will not be on the sidelines during crunchtime.
Palming the basketball I hate it, call it! make them do it right its the rules, if a kid can carry the bball advantage to him, call it. Its not an evolution of the rule! You want to carry the ball play football you want to play bball learn to dribble. And 1 basketball is not high school basketball, if it was I would watch it along with the NBA!!
And Refs, no matter what we (the fans) are not there to watch you, actually dont even want to know you are there, I have plenty of friends who are officials and guys after the introduction if I notice you or the crowd notices you its not a good thing.

[Ryanexpress]

Everyone makes it sound so easy to officiate any & all ball games.
If you really want to take part in calling it by the rules as you all are saying then here is what I would do:

http://www.ohsaa.org/officials/permits/default.htm

Get your license...Call a few games & find out just how easy it really is to call any ball game at eny level.

[qualified101]

^^^^^^^^great post.

i think everyone who comes to a game should have to view a mandatory 8-10 minute review of bball rules before they can enter the gym. lol.

maybe take a 5 question quiz. just havin some fun!

[bobcat32]

basketball could become a little bit more physical and itd be pretty good sport, maybe for the post players anyway, thats the only spot it should be more physical.

well in my opinion which is always dumb