Refs need to be braver at the end of games.

[Mucrisco]

I am not one to rip on referees...usually. I think they have a tough, thankless job, and very few of us, even though we'd like to think so, can be a good ref. Whenever my game ends, I always try to make it a point to thank the referee.

Having said that, refs really need to get some balls at the end of games. All of this,"Let the players decide the outcome, excuse needs to stop. You can't swallow the whistle in the final minute. You need to be make the same calls that you were, the entire game. All any good coach asks of a referee is to be consistent. If a player commits a foul at the end of the game, HE IS DECIDING THE OUTCOME. The player that has to make the free throws IS DECIDING THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME. A real reason why refs aren't calling these is because they don' want the heat. They don't want the heckling from a coach or the fans. Either that, or they have frozen up at the crucial moments, just like a player or coach does.

In the Kansas-Iowa St game last night, Iowa St should have won. Kansas was down two, drove to the basket, and clearly bowled over an Iowa St guy. The clear call was a charge. If it wasn't a charge, a block should have been called, but the guy was clearly set and in position to draw a charge. At the very least, with that much contact, a call should be made, Instead, the ref swallows his whistle, because of the stupid notion that the players decide the game. Instead of a charge call, the Kansas player lands on top of the Iowa St guy and catches the rebound. In this awkward position, the ref calls a foul on the Iowa St player since the Kansas guy has the ball and the Iowa St guy is making contact. If the ref was doing his job in the first place and not swallowing his whistle, this never would have happened.

I'm sick of hearing people say that the Refs won't make a call to decide the outcome of the game. By swallowing their whistle, they are being subjective, and indeed affecting the game. They are doing the very thing that people claim they are trying to avoid. If a player commits a foul, then his action is clearly deciding the outcome. Rules don't change in the final minute. There isn't a separate section in the rule book for the final minute of a game. Do your job. Call the foul.

[MUfan12]

A far less important foul, but how about the push off at the end of the MU game last night?

As blatant of an offensive foul as I've seen and they swallowed the whistle.

[Gato78]

I would take it a step further: referees DO decide outcomes both in how they call a game and what they do, or do not do, at the end of games. They need to be held accountable and the truth is there is no accountability whatsoever. The crowd that says "officials do not decide games" does nothing but contribute to the general incompetence of D1 officiating. The Kansas--Iowa State game is proof of incompetence (and may be proof that nothing willl be done). Despite our happiness in last night's outcome, the officiating at our game was pathetic. Remember Burr, Higgins and ?? running off the court at the Garden with time on the clock? There was no consequence--they were doing games in the NCAA Tourney. But, since some say officials do not determine outcomes and will not criticize officials, we are stuck with unaccountable, poor officiating.

[MUMac]

I would take it a step further: referees DO decide outcomes both in how they call a game and what they do, or do not do, at the end of games. They need to be held accountable and the truth is there is no accountability whatsoever. The crowd that says "officials do not decide games" does nothing but contribute to the general incompetence of D1 officiating. The Kansas--Iowa State game is proof of incompetence (and may be proof that nothing willl be done). Despite our happiness in last night's outcome, the officiating at our game was pathetic. Remember Burr, Higgins and ?? running off the court at the Garden with time on the clock? There was no consequence--they were doing games in the NCAA Tourney. But, since some say officials do not determine outcomes and will not criticize officials, we are stuck with unaccountable, poor officiating.

The converse of that is that letting the players decide the outcome does happen when you make the right call. A charging call was letting the players decide as the KU player's actions were the deciding play.

Crisco, I am all on board with you on this and have been. Never bought into the "let the players decided" garbage. Now, that said, I don't want to see a touch or weak foul called, but I don't care for that during the game either.