Walking/Traveling Violation - Why is it so difficult to call?

[etownsparky]

After watching the Greeneville vs. Elizabethton boys' game tonight, I wonder why coaches teach and players spend time practicing basic basketball footwork anymore. When I played basketball (back in the stone ages), I knew most of the time when to expect to be called for walking/traveling before the whistle even blew (and believe me, the whistle did blow). I worked countless hours getting the basic footwork down because it was mandatory to be effective. Nowadays I wonder if it's worth the time to work on proper technique as I don't think many kids know when they travel and many of the officials definitely don't recognize when a violation has occurred. Based on the performance from three so called officials from tonights game, they certainly did not get it! I'm not even bothering to discuss marginal instances - I mean blatantly obvious that anyone watching and that know the rules could see. I know, I know the officials were correct in every instance and it's me that doesn't have a clue. Believe that if you want, but I know a walk when I see one. I personally witnessed a kid catch the ball, square away, change pivot foot and take a step before dribbling at least a half a dozen times and he was not whistled for walking one time the entire game (there are 2 opportunities in that sequence to call a travel). Another common tactic that I see over and over (witnessed it many times tonight during this game) that is never called anymore is for a player to catch the ball in the air, come down and then hop with both feet again without a dribble. It's so discouraging to watch high school players that have little concept of catching the ball and squaring up (or away if you prefer), addressing the basket in triple threat position and then making a basketball move without walking. It's even more disturbing that officials ignore or don't recognize it. I don't know if the issue is that officials don't understand the concept or if it's just not an emphasis area anymore. I'm not talking about missing an occasional violation either. I don't expect the officials to be perfect. But, when you have three officials and the same violation is repeated time and time again with maybe one call for the entire game, one has to wonder what the problem is. I just feel it's an unfair advantage to a team that doesn't work on these fundamentals and goes into a game against a team that does and never gets whistled for the violations. I saw the EHS coach complain to one official and heard the official reply, "Coach, watch the film and you'll see that I was correct." Well, I've got a suggestion - maybe the officials need to spend a little time watching some film. I don't know if there's a video of tonight's game available, but if there is, I guarantee the three that officiated tonight's game (and I use "officiated" lightly because that's about as poor performance as I've seen in a while) could learn something from a second look. There isn't any need though because there would be no added value in watching a performance that they already know was perfect (LOL, sarcasm). My two cents...

Edited January 4, 2011 by etownsparky

[voice]

Sparky - I was listening to this game on internet radio from Greeneville. Aparently you weren't the only one who thought there was a lot of walking. The announcer (Greeneville) commented several times during the game that the officials missed an obvious walking violation.

[IRONHORSE7]

Sparky - I was listening to this game on internet radio from Greeneville. Aparently you weren't the only one who thought there was a lot of walking. The announcer (Greeneville) commented several times during the game that the officials missed an obvious walking violation.

Look to the NBA for the answer, its so bad I dont even watch the games. Was the calling onesided?

[uknoit2]

Look to the NBA for the answer, its so bad I dont even watch the games. Was the calling onesided?

"Look to the NBA"....SO TRUE! There was a time I LOVED the NBA (Worthy, Magic, Barkley, Bird, Drexler) but those days are long gone. The NBA game of today is absurd in every aspect and teaches our kids nothing about the correct way to play the game. When "street ball" became the big craze I knew basketball, as we knew it, was in trouble.

[IRONHORSE7]

"Look to the NBA"....SO TRUE! There was a time I LOVED the NBA (Worthy, Magic, Barkley, Bird, Drexler) but those days are long gone. The NBA game of today is absurd in every aspect and teaches our kids nothing about the correct way to play the game. When "street ball" became the big craze I knew basketball, as we knew it, was in trouble.

Agreed and it is starting to hurt the college game also.

[etownsparky]

Look to the NBA for the answer, its so bad I dont even watch the games. Was the calling onesided?

I agree with respect to the NBA - I haven't been a fan in years because of how the games are played and officiated.

 

The officiating in the GHS vs. EHS game was just plain bad, i.e. tick-tack foul calls, way too many offensive foul calls on defensive flops, not calling walking, etc. I wouldn't say it was one-sided as it was not particularly good for either. The one exception that I thought worked to GHS's advantage was the "no-call" walking violations because they probably got 3-4 buckets that should have been negated. There were a couple of horrible calls that went against EHS in the last minute (one being an Academy Award winning flop that wiped a basket off) that ultimately resulted in the EHS coach getting T'd up. I didn't hear what the coach said, but the T might have been the best call the officials made all night (LOL). That sequence dashed any hopes of an EHS comeback and probably caused EHS fans to leave feeling jipped. It was frustrating to sit and watch Betsy fight their way back to within a point late and see the game slip away in the last 30 seconds. In reality, the game probably should have been decided on the last possession with a make or miss by one of the teams. But, I don't blame the loss on the officials because EHS did not show up in the first half and dug too big of hole.

[Eda]

Calling walks only slows down the game; therefore the refs would have to get home at a later time.

 

Whatever it takes to speed up the game, get their check and home for supper.

 

My two cents-

Eda

[IRONHORSE7]

Calling walks only slows down the game; therefore the refs would have to get home at a later time.

 

Whatever it takes to speed up the game, get their check and home for supper.

 

My two cents-

Eda

Some games seem that way but others they dont even let the kids play!!!!!