NCAA's officials director, John Adams says refs doing good job enforcing new rules

[jbcarol]

NCAA national coordinator of men's basketball officiating John Adams said, across the board, Division I officials have been implementing the points of emphasis regarding hand-checking and the block/charge rule with consistency -- for the most part. It's not perfect. There have been cases where the zebras have failed in this pursuit, but overall, he's satisfied.

"I'm pretty honest about stuff like this," Adams told CBSSports.com. "Given everything that was thrown at officials this year ... I think they've done a very, very good job of adapting quickly and officiating games according to the standards of the NCAA and their conferences. I don't think there's any question that anecdotally these rule changes have worked. Scoring through Jan. 5 was up six and half points through this time last year. There were only four more fouls per game. Turnovers are down almost two per game and with exception of [Kentucky-Arkansas], the games that we're able to time are coming, the vast majority, under two hours."

The loudest bemoaning most recently sprouted during Tuesday night's Kentucky-Arkansas game, which went to overtime and took two and a half hours to complete. It featured 60 fouls and 81 free throws. As coincidence would have it, Adams was at the game.

"I hope my presence doesn't have any affect on the officials," Adams said when I asked him if he thought his attendance affected the way the crew called the game. "They have much more things to worry about than me sitting 150 feet from the court. I thought the referees in the game, assigned by the SEC, did exactly what they're supposed to do. What happens in games like that ... the players on each team fail to adjust to the way the game is being called. At some point, you have to stop fouling. And if you don't, why would you expect the officials to change the way they're calling the game?"

Some believe conference play has led to a regression to the sluggish, physical game that college hoops had morphed into in recent seasons. Adams said there have been instances where fouls that should have been called weren't, but overall that criticism is too broadly painted.

Adams distributed a memo for all officials last Thursday. (The "10-1-4" is the new protocol for whistles against hand-checking.) Verbatim, here are the five points he emphasized to all officials:

1. Very inconsistent enforcement of 10-1-4, especially in the back court.

2. We are letting defenders "show their hands" but foul with the lower body.

3. In games where 10-1-4 is enforced fairly well, that enforcement tends to fade late in close games.

4. Post Play is as rough as I have ever seen it. Not calling the 1st or second foul in these scrums, invariably leads to a "retaliation foul" later in the sequence.

5. There is still way too much illegal contact committed against players without the ball. That was a 2013-14 point of emphasis.

I listened to an announcer last night on ESPN say: "what they (officials) work on and talk about in November and December eventually goes away in January and February and we get back to playing college basketball". Our challenge is to prove him wrong.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/24410822/ncaas-officials-director-says-refs-doing-good-job-enforcing-new-rules

Adams' data base for the shortened games statement came from the early season NIT games.

[The_Iceman]

How about the multiple fouls that were called when there was ZERO contact?

[Hogbody]

I, and I think everyone else associated with college basketball, hate the new rules

[jbcarol]

 Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN  ·  2h 2 hours ago

J.D. Collins will replace John Adams as national coordinator of basketball officiating. Collins has been coordinator for the MAC and Summit.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN  ·  2h 2 hours ago

J.D. Collins will replace John Adams as national coordinator of basketball officiating. Collins has been coordinator for the MAC and Summit.

In other words....."John Adams fouled out"......

[jbcarol]

NCAA's new head of officials ready to make tough calls

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - J.D. Collins has one goal as the NCAA's coordinator of men's basketball officials: Get it right....

[jbcarol]

 Jerry Ratcliffe @JerryRatcliffe  ·  May 7

ACC coordinator of basketball officials John Clougherty announces he will retire after the 2015-16 season. Started job in 2005.