Would a challenge system work for the NBA?

I think they could at least TRY a challenge system. If it didn't work, they could get rid of it. I certainly hope that the officiating is changed next season - the current system just isn't working.

 

I'm a great suporter of this system. I think it is necassary for this game. This way a game will not be deided by the refs, because the coach can keep his challenges for the end of the game.

 

I think it would slow the game down too much. Football is a stop and start game, so the delays aren't as bad. Basketball is more continuous action.

 

I think a challenge system would be fine in the NBA if it was only available in the last 2 or 3 minutes of the game and not available from the start of the game.

 

I don't think it'll break up the game any more than the 7 minute commercial breaks for nationally televised games. It'll only take a few minutes, just like in football.

Also, it shouldn't matter when the player or coach calls for a challenge. If they choose to use it on a bad call in the second quarter, that's their "get out of jail free" card they are using. They should be able to use it at anytime.

I think it's a great system for those very calls that can sway the game and if you know for darn sure that you are in the right.

 

Agree. And enough with this "judgement" can't be reviewed crap. That is bull voo doo. Judgement calls like fouls and penalties get reviewed by refs all the time after the game. why should game time be any different. I think any play should be reviewable and any foul reviewable with the limit being 2. If you are wrong you lose a timeout. If you are right you get back the timeout. but still lose a challenge.

 

I'm all for them to do something, anything, to improve officiating. I can accept the fact that the NBA is very difficult to officiate. But I cannot accept the fact that they are hush-hush about the mistakes they make, and have done absolutely nothing to correct them.

Officials should be held accountable. If it's a difficult job, then they should be paid good money and those who don't do a good job should be fired. If you pay well enough, and make it competative, a lot of capable people will be attracted to the job and incompetent people will be weeded out. And officials should be penalized if they behave badly in games, just like players and coaches are penalized.

 

Just one word here!!!!!!!







YES

 

I don't think it would be effective. In football, referees can cause big swings in the fortunes of teams with singular calls. That's why it is effective there. In basketball, the refs hurt and help you in tiny increments throughout the game: a touch foul on the perimter here, a no call on a travel there, a 3-second violation, a block that's called a foul, a hard foul that's let go, a technical, a moving pick, a carry. Each by itself is almost inconsequential, but the effect they have in concert with one another can cause a large swing in momentum, or in general strategies that work or fail, or in morale.

If, for example, the refs were to call illegal defense on the 1993 Sonics on every infraction, would they have been the Rockets-killers they were? The refs weren't willing to do that, so the Sonics were able to run an effective but illegal defense to win the series. One call wouldn't have changed it. But a change to the refs' approach to the whole game would have.

A challenge system would have helped when Barry was stripped from out of bounds. But, it would not have helped with Yao getting whistled for incidental contact on one end and suffer no-calls when he gets clobbered at the other end. That's where the games are really won and lost, and it won't be addressed by instant replay.

 

So Juan you think the challenge system wouldnt have helped when Michael Finley was out of bounds and swatted away the ball???

To me personally the game right there ended... We were down by 3 and had the ball in our possession with under 2 min left???

Common....

 

A-Train, yes some calls do have a more sizeable impact on the outcome of a game than others. However, the affliction that reffing suffers in the NBA is deeper than that. Decisions by refs can completely change the direction of a game so that by the time there's a botched call at the end of the game, it doesn't even matter because the W has already been put away. Not that instant replay wouldn't help a little. It would have helped in the Barry call, and the Yao call you mentioned. But, it won't make the NBA have a fairly called game, it won't keep the refs from picking the winners, and it won't keep me from complaining. Look at our 40 point blowout in Game 7. Dallas was aggressive in the beginning of the game and the refs let them play. Meanwhile, the Rockets had some calls go against them early in the game which threw them off their game. If it had so happened that the reverse were true -- that the Rockets got away with some noncalls and the Mavs were called on their aggressive play -- maybe maybe the outcome would have been different. I know they outplayed us, so don't get distracted with that point. The point is why, and the refs are a piece of that.

 

JV, I agree with what you say in general. But I think the challenge system is for critical calls in a close game. It is these games that make people wonder the possibility of opposite outcomes.

I still think the "high reward high accountability" approach is the best way to improve performance in any profession with sufficient degree of difficulty. And it's not like the NBA cannot afford it.

 

The NBA refs do get high rewards, upwards of $100,000 a year.

 

YES.

 

I think it would work, I don't see why it wouldn't. But I don't see it happenening anytime soon, front office guys will be too worried about slowing down games.

 

basketball is too fast for this to work. The refs do a decent job. yeah they will miss calls, but i think there's already enough review with the last second stuff. All we need in basketball is more and more refs and review to slow down the game.

We need to find ways to speed it up....

in a 7 game series...i don't think the refs decide who advances or not.

 

Clearly you didn't watch the Kings-Lakers game 7 a few years back.

The contention that NBA refereeing is really hard and the refs are doing their best doesn't pass for me. If you miss a call, you miss a call...if you do it regularly, you shoudl be fired and someone else should be given a shot. It isn't that hard. It certainly isn't rocket science.

 

I think a replay system/ challenge system would slow things down.

I think a master "ref" back at NBA headquarters (or anywhere) should be watching the games and have direct wireless communication with the refs and able to help make calls. He would not make additional calls but help make calls that are made the correct calls.

For instance: Any time a play is stopped - Out of bounds, personal fouls. There is a small break in the action (5-20 seconds). The master ref can try and make sure the call was correct. Did they get the right team for the out of bounds? Was that goaltending on that shot or a good block (foul was called)? Was the defender in the circle or out? Was that a charge or a blocking foul? Did the big guy shuffle his feet before that personal foul?

The normal TV viewer has these views usually within seconds after a play. The master refs could have the same thing and try and correct the call before play resumes. If they can't make a deterimination before play resumes then it is too late. If a team doesn't like a call they can call time out hoping the master ref will look at it and overrule.

Obviously this would only help a little and the onsite refs would still call all fouls. On to the Finley out of bounds slap: A foul was called right after the play so the master ref could take a look at that as well since it is all in the same play or the Rocket could call time-out.

The NBA would only need another 8-12 guys sitting in a control room watching all the games. The onsite refs would just say the correct call with no special anouncement. Play on. The refs just tell the coaches & players "The eyes in the sky saw the replay, I guess I was wrong".

The technology is already in place, they just need to get video feed control so they can replay the plays. Can you say Tivo/DVR? Maybe those won't have the best replay angle but the NBA can make requirements of the broadcasters.