COLUMNS

Mailbox: The age-old basketball question of when is a foul not a foul

Columbus Dispatch

Have more comments, questions? Reach out to me at bwhite1@dispatch.com. Letters are lightly edited for clarity.

Apr 5, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the semifinals of the Final Four of the womens 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

On basketball officiating

Hi Brian: Think about the illegal screen that was called against UConn in the last seconds of the NCAA women's semifinal game. But first, take your team allegiance out of play, as well as the women/men consideration, as well as the level of play. American basketball fans have come to believe that at the end of close games we should "let the players decide the outcome."

Do the referees actually believe that. Do they actually "swallow their whistles" at the end of close games; or is it all just a myth? I would like to believe that it is a myth, but in my 31 years of coaching high school basketball I have even had some game officials verbalize that philosophy. To "let the players decide the outcome" means that the action won't be called as closely as other times in the game.

Is that really what we want? I have a very close knowledge of NFHS basketball rules, and I have scoured NCAA basketball regulations and I have not seen any reference to calling the game differently in the closing seconds of a tight contest. Oftentimes, the game ends with the result that would happen no matter what. But if not, who gets penalized? Most often it's the team that continues to play within the rules.

We need to get rid of the belief that we "let the players decide the outcome." A foul should be a foul no matter what time in the game it occurs- the first minute, middle of the third quarter, or the final 10 seconds of a close game. But again, it's the adults in the room that need to make that happen.

Officials are human, they sometimes miss a call- a bang/bang contact that could be a block or a charge, for example. We have to eliminate the idea that what was a foul in the third quarter is not a foul in the last 10 seconds of a close game. And we coaches and spectators have to expect that!

Al Summers, Pataskala

To Coach Al: Totally agree. As a former high school official, I never really understood when coaches argued that "You can't make that call at that point in the game." If that's the case, they should announce to the crowd that from a certain point in the game a travel might not be a travel anymore.

The Columbus Fairgrounds Coliseum in 2004.

On the Fairgrounds and high school basketball

To Brian: As you know, there's nothing like high school basketball, especially when you're in high school. The Ohio High School Athletic Association records include scoring leaders who went on to play for Ohio State: Jon Diebler, Jay Burson, Jerry Lucas, Jim Jackson and Allan Hornyak. Tournament games at Ohio's (Taft) Fairgrounds Coliseum have included the eventual state champion from several Columbus area schools. I recall games when the boxed energy from the raucous crowds in the regional finals could be so deafening, the officials had to use an air horn - an experience you never forget.

Many championship stars have long passed through the old "Barn" (1918): Jim Cleamons and coach Vince Chickerella of Linden-McKinley ('67); a host of talented starters from East ('66-'69) and their coach Bob Hart; Ed Stahl and coach Jackie Moore of Walnut Ridge. In the '70s when I was a ball boy, there was Newark and coach Gary Walters (27 years, state semifinals in 1981). I wonder if today's kids ever look back to those historical, memorable tournaments - teams, players and coaches. If what I've read is true, games could soon return to the Coliseum. A little subordinate, it's still a sports landmark in this town. Renovated in 2005, the 5,000-seat arena is the place to get "fired up."

Larry Cheek, Dublin

To Larry: I can pretty much guarantee that today's kids know little about the history of area hoops. Or hoops in general. As in, who old names like Larry Bird and Kareem were.

On baseball no-hitters

Mr. White: Ronel Blanco of the Houston Astros authored this season's first no-hitter, the 17th in team history. For folks who feel that there are "too many" no-no's, there may be a way to sharply lessen these occurrences. Consider that Pittsburgh's Forbes Field was the home of the Pirates from 1909 through June 28, 1970. During that span of over 60 years and over 4,000 games, there was never a no-hitter pitched in that park. That's a large sample size! The Pirates' hitters won quite a number of batting titles, including those won by Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente. Players such as the Waner brothers, Arky Vaughan, Max Carey, and Kiki Cuyler hit well over .300 scores of times.

Forbes Field had a spacious playing surface that was originally 365 feet down the lines and 462 feet to straightaway center field. The Pirates moved to Three Rivers Stadium (a "cookie cutter" ballpark) in 1970 after departing Forbes Field. On Aug. 14, 1971, Bob Gibson hurled a no-hitter in Three Rivers.

Richard Zaborsky, Dublin

On youth sports

To Brian: As spring sports begin, I hope those coaching children's teams remember that they are children. I am glad that the Little League where I coached years ago now uses a continuous batting order so that there's no more playing the lesser talented player the minimum one at bat and standing in right field for two innings every game by some guy who thinks he's managing the seventh game of the World Series. Even in select ball, but especially at the intramural level, it's amazing what some positive instruction and encouragement can do. I was so happy for a player I once had who was that kid who exploded with three hits in one game including the game-winner. He could have avoided the disappointment he generally experienced, but chose instead to step into the arena to try his best. For his participation, he deserved a trophy.

Dennis Singleton, Dayton