During the latter years, we have seen and been witnesses of an exceptional development of basketball around the world. A competent and meticulous analysis will allow us to come to the conclusion that basketball takes a step forward every year.
Looking back to the past, it is almost impossible not to notice the forceful difference that exists between the quality and techniques of the previous Olympic Games and the moderns, thing that happened not only to basketball but to all the sports as well.
Modern basketball is an harmonious combination of shining speed actions, excellent athletic performances and highly skilled players. It is logical that the development of the game is narrowly linked to officiating, since are the referees themselves who make possible the application of the spirit of modern basketball game on the playing courts.
Consequently, when we talk about modern basketball, it is necessary to evoke the term “modern officiating”. Some competent specialists think, wrongly, that the modern officiating represents a completely new category of technicians, which differs in everything from the laws and norms of the classic officiating. At contrary, the essential difference is that certain constitutive elements of officiating that used to have a smaller and less transcendental character have acquired an essential importance nowadays.
As the sport has grown, there are new facets and skills of the game and players that must be observed by the referees in order the be able to make a logical and suitable decision. We will try next, to outline the most important of these new concepts and requirements.
REFEREES PHYSICAL TRAINING :
The dynamics of the game and the athletic abilities of the players are the principal causes of the increased potency of modern basketball. The fastness of the actions with the participation of many players often produces faults, sometimes a chain of them with a difference of a fraction of a second. To sanction the first one of these faults, it is necessary that the whistle of the referee sound instantaneously. To follow the play as near as possible, the referee also has to run fast and, in some cases, he should do it even faster than the players; consequently, he must possess the same physical qualities and the same resistance.
The lack of mobility often provokes, even to veteran referees, a few decisions based on the presumption. We frequently see cases in which a correct decision made by a referee, but called from a long distance of the spot where it happened, produces many protests from coaches, players and spectators. A distraction, even momentarily, can have negative repercussion at the end of the game.
The concentration capacity diminishes considerably from the moment when the first symptoms of physical weariness appear. It is then when the omissions and the erroneous decisions are more frequent. The same happens to determined reflexes of the referees. Many factors takes part in this process, factors that referees must try to avoid and eliminate. Among these factors, we will mention:
1) the physical weariness
2) a hard discussion with a player, coach, etc.
3) a nervous overexcitement provoked by the screams from the spectators.
4) a copious meal or certain quantity of alcohol consumed before the game.
5) a deep sleep interrupted shortly before the beginning of the game.
6) personal problems of different nature, etc.
Consequently, a tired referee has a slow reaction time, he notices a certain fault committed by a player and from the moment in which his muscles contraction makes the whistle sounds, another fault has been committed, etc.
Often, we attend games where tired and panting referees turn out to be exceeded by the rhythm of the dynamic game. Therefore we will have an unequal officiating, precise and strict at the beginning; passive and unsteady towards the end; just in the decisive moments, when one or two consecutive omissions causes basketball degenerate into rugby and can turn out to be fatidic for the final score.
Even the best referee is not able to perform up to the requirements of the current basketball without a systematical physical preparation. If we insist so much on the physical preparation, it is because it is the foundation of all the elements that compose the structure of a good officiating. In the past, the rhythm of the game and it’s old rules allowed the referees to control the game for long periods from a static position. We can quote as classic example the final of the Olympian Games of Helsinki in 1952 between the United States and The Soviet Union, when they passed more than 12 minutes without no offensive or defensive action taken by any of both teams.
The referees must warm up at least for 10 or 15 minutes before game time in order to be prepare for the future efforts and to keep up with the rhythm of the game.
THE OFFICIATING TECHINIQUES AND TEAM WORK:
Among the factors of increased importance for the modern basketball, we can quote the suitable application of certain aspects of the officiating technique. Often players’ body right in front of him blocks the visual field of a referee, so he is not able to observe even the clearest fault committed almost next to him. Teamwork and the improvement (but not dogmatist) of the movements and zones, as well as close cooperation between referees, that is to say, the strict application of the mechanics of officiating has assumed an importance inside today’s basketball. Nowadays, the active and balanced participation of two or three referees it is absolutely indispensable for the good administration of a close game.
Eduardo Bianchi
President of the Technical Committee
FIMBA
Looking back to the past, it is almost impossible not to notice the forceful difference that exists between the quality and techniques of the previous Olympic Games and the moderns, thing that happened not only to basketball but to all the sports as well.
Modern basketball is an harmonious combination of shining speed actions, excellent athletic performances and highly skilled players. It is logical that the development of the game is narrowly linked to officiating, since are the referees themselves who make possible the application of the spirit of modern basketball game on the playing courts.
Consequently, when we talk about modern basketball, it is necessary to evoke the term “modern officiating”. Some competent specialists think, wrongly, that the modern officiating represents a completely new category of technicians, which differs in everything from the laws and norms of the classic officiating. At contrary, the essential difference is that certain constitutive elements of officiating that used to have a smaller and less transcendental character have acquired an essential importance nowadays.
As the sport has grown, there are new facets and skills of the game and players that must be observed by the referees in order the be able to make a logical and suitable decision. We will try next, to outline the most important of these new concepts and requirements.
REFEREES PHYSICAL TRAINING :
The dynamics of the game and the athletic abilities of the players are the principal causes of the increased potency of modern basketball. The fastness of the actions with the participation of many players often produces faults, sometimes a chain of them with a difference of a fraction of a second. To sanction the first one of these faults, it is necessary that the whistle of the referee sound instantaneously. To follow the play as near as possible, the referee also has to run fast and, in some cases, he should do it even faster than the players; consequently, he must possess the same physical qualities and the same resistance.
The lack of mobility often provokes, even to veteran referees, a few decisions based on the presumption. We frequently see cases in which a correct decision made by a referee, but called from a long distance of the spot where it happened, produces many protests from coaches, players and spectators. A distraction, even momentarily, can have negative repercussion at the end of the game.
The concentration capacity diminishes considerably from the moment when the first symptoms of physical weariness appear. It is then when the omissions and the erroneous decisions are more frequent. The same happens to determined reflexes of the referees. Many factors takes part in this process, factors that referees must try to avoid and eliminate. Among these factors, we will mention:
1) the physical weariness
2) a hard discussion with a player, coach, etc.
3) a nervous overexcitement provoked by the screams from the spectators.
4) a copious meal or certain quantity of alcohol consumed before the game.
5) a deep sleep interrupted shortly before the beginning of the game.
6) personal problems of different nature, etc.
Consequently, a tired referee has a slow reaction time, he notices a certain fault committed by a player and from the moment in which his muscles contraction makes the whistle sounds, another fault has been committed, etc.
Often, we attend games where tired and panting referees turn out to be exceeded by the rhythm of the dynamic game. Therefore we will have an unequal officiating, precise and strict at the beginning; passive and unsteady towards the end; just in the decisive moments, when one or two consecutive omissions causes basketball degenerate into rugby and can turn out to be fatidic for the final score.
Even the best referee is not able to perform up to the requirements of the current basketball without a systematical physical preparation. If we insist so much on the physical preparation, it is because it is the foundation of all the elements that compose the structure of a good officiating. In the past, the rhythm of the game and it’s old rules allowed the referees to control the game for long periods from a static position. We can quote as classic example the final of the Olympian Games of Helsinki in 1952 between the United States and The Soviet Union, when they passed more than 12 minutes without no offensive or defensive action taken by any of both teams.
The referees must warm up at least for 10 or 15 minutes before game time in order to be prepare for the future efforts and to keep up with the rhythm of the game.
THE OFFICIATING TECHINIQUES AND TEAM WORK:
Among the factors of increased importance for the modern basketball, we can quote the suitable application of certain aspects of the officiating technique. Often players’ body right in front of him blocks the visual field of a referee, so he is not able to observe even the clearest fault committed almost next to him. Teamwork and the improvement (but not dogmatist) of the movements and zones, as well as close cooperation between referees, that is to say, the strict application of the mechanics of officiating has assumed an importance inside today’s basketball. Nowadays, the active and balanced participation of two or three referees it is absolutely indispensable for the good administration of a close game.
Eduardo Bianchi
President of the Technical Committee
FIMBA
4 comentarios:
Very good article to give everybody an understanding of today´s referee performance in basketball and that referees are a small but an important part of the modern basketball game generally ("Referees - You can´t play without them. - They part of the game!"). Neil Hennig - Germany
I think the interview of Mr. Bianchi about modern officiating is very well done especially the part about physical fitness and how it affects abilities of the referees.
The analysis of the present compared to the past is very professionally done and there is a great difference of officiating needs concerning weight and physical fitness of referees nowadays compared to the past.
I think it will be a good idea to imply those ideas to FIMBA Referees by planning a physical fitness and BMI (body mass index) program for FIMBA Referees to achieve during the year and it can be evaluated in FIMBA tournaments.Berty Matus-Israel
The interview is very nice and is talking about the true things that a referee needs to be a good referee and to officiate in a right way. I think that Mr. Bianchi knows very well the referees world and his problems. Dino Seghetti-Italy
To whom it my concern:
Article Mr. Bianchi very impotant and very topical.
There is absolutly nothing in basketball officiating which contributes more to success-- or to
failure--than the ability of the crew to work together.Officials who operate as a team to: see the same game; know where their partners are; trust the partners; and COMMUNICATE,will
work a good game every time.
The modern game does not require three(or two) referees to handle the game; instead it requires one team of referees.
The pre-game conference should help develop this teamwork.
Also, I think we need a clinic for local and FIMBA referees together before each Championship.
Sincerely,
Vladi Eliseev (USA).
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