Freedom of Movement Rules...

[ValencyLovesZagsInAtlanta]

implemented this year are ruining the game I used to love to watch. Ticky tack foul after ticky tack foul in both Atlantis games today. Now the refs can have even more influence on the game. The stoppages and lack of flow due to excessive fouls being called is so disheartening. If this has been addressed in a previous post just delete me. I hate this!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CDC84]

As Jay Bilas has been saying, these have always been the rules....it's just that the refs haven't been enforcing them.

The excessive foul calls are the price for weeding excessive contact of the game.

Today's game was cleanly played, and both teams were playing good D. Far less foul calls.

My worry is that the refs will forget everything come league play.

[ValencyLovesZagsInAtlanta]

As Jay Bilas has been saying, these have always been the rules....it's just that the refs haven't been enforcing them.

The excessive foul calls are the price for weeding excessive contact of the game.

Today's game was cleanly played, and both teams were playing good D. Far less foul calls.

My worry is that the refs will forget everything come league play.

It is always good to hear the other side. Maybe I am over reacting to the Karno fouls that were called against him. Verticality wasn't breached. Having said that it is up to coaching staffs around the country to adjust and teach players what is acceptable. Also it puts a premium on free throw shooting so if you love that part of the game its great. It was a pretty well played game in retrospect.

[Zagger]

I'm ALL for making the game safer and more adroit. Otherwise college bb players might as well be suiting up in football unis. Kudos for rule changes that benefit skill over brute force!

[willandi]

Wouldn't it be nice for the officiating to be even handed. The foul on karno for being bigger was absurd. The non call on Domas when he was head butted yesterday should have negated the foul called against the Zags. Today several times when the Zags where slapped, grabbed when under the basket, and were no calls, while the opposite end they were fouls.

It may be as simple as the rotation of the officials, the one out front on one end becomes the man underneath at the other. Still. The game should be called evenly and throughout the game. Just because the game seems to be in hand, it is no reason to relax the calls.

[seacatfan]

They tried this several years ago. I think the Zags opened against West Virginia, and totally thumped them. Games were unwatchable at the beginning of the year. Constant whistles, stoppage of play, countless FTs, no flow. By the time conference play began the new emphasis on calling fouls went out the window and it was back to normal. I appreciate what they are trying to do, but it kinda seems like the cure is worse than the disease.

[ValencyLovesZagsInAtlanta]

They tried this several years ago. I think the Zags opened against West Virginia, and totally thumped them. Games were unwatchable at the beginning of the year. Constant whistles, stoppage of play, countless FTs, no flow. By the time conference play began the new emphasis on calling fouls went out the window and it was back to normal. I appreciate what they are trying to do, but it kinda seems like the cure is worse than the disease.

Well that about sums it up for me also..."The cure is worse than the disease."

Lets see what happens tomorrow. Hopefully the game has some flow.

[maynard g krebs]

I think those of us who grew up in the 60's through the 80's have the exact opposite view. The proliferation of dirty play, starting with the Pistons circa 1990, is what long ago ruined the game. (Along with the proliferation of 1 on 1 play, which started in the NBA and filtered down, but that's another topic). It used to be a game of movement and flow, passing and cutting, and the offense had the advantage.

It used to be that a good offensive team could get to 90 or 100 points on a fairly regular basis, and offensive basketball was a thing of beauty. Watch some video of the old Blazers with Walton/Lucas/Hollins et al and it's enough to make an old man cry for what's been lost, like a long-ago love. Or the Monroe/Frazier/Bradley Knicks, just to name a couple.

What's unwatchable is games that are 18-13 at halftime. They might as well throw mud all over the floor. I absolutely love that they are trying to clean the game up. I don't think they can get it back to where it was skillwise, but kudos to the people in charge for understanding that something had to be done.

Players will have to adjust. And guys like Shaka Smart and Romar will have to learn some new tricks when they can't play whack a mole.

[willandi]

I think those of us who grew up in the 60's through the 80's have the exact opposite view. The proliferation of dirty play, starting with the Pistons circa 1990, is what long ago ruined the game. (Along with the proliferation of 1 on 1 play, which started in the NBA and filtered down, but that's another topic). It used to be a game of movement and flow, passing and cutting, and the offense had the advantage.

It used to be that a good offensive team could get to 90 or 100 points on a fairly regular basis, and offensive basketball was a thing of beauty. Watch some video of the old Blazers with Walton/Lucas/Hollins et al and it's enough to make an old man cry for what's been lost, like a long-ago love. Or the Monroe/Frazier/Bradley Knicks, just to name a couple.

What's unwatchable is games that are 18-13 at halftime. They might as well throw mud all over the floor. I absolutely love that they are trying to clean the game up. I don't think they can get it back to where it was skillwise, but kudos to the people in charge for understanding that something had to be done.

Players will have to adjust. And guys like Shaka Smart and Romar will have to learn some new tricks when they can't play whack a mole.

This I agree with. I remember the Gathers and Kimble led LMU teams of the late 1980's. They led Div 1 scoring at 110/ppg 112/ppg and an amazing 122/points per game averages. I had just moved to Spokane, didn't know anything about the WCC or the Zags, but was amazed at the LMU games. I would like to see basketball get back to a free flowing, offense dominated, good defense with few fouls, style of game.

[ProjectMKUltra5]

This is why Football>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Basketball

The sports that have the most physical contact tend to be the most taxing mentally as well. It's one thing to be competitive and have a will to win when nobody is allowed to touch you, it's a whole nother beast when your opponent can physically stop you from doing something.

[TexasZagFan]

I think those of us who grew up in the 60's through the 80's have the exact opposite view. The proliferation of dirty play, starting with the Pistons circa 1990, is what long ago ruined the game. (Along with the proliferation of 1 on 1 play, which started in the NBA and filtered down, but that's another topic). It used to be a game of movement and flow, passing and cutting, and the offense had the advantage.

It used to be that a good offensive team could get to 90 or 100 points on a fairly regular basis, and offensive basketball was a thing of beauty. Watch some video of the old Blazers with Walton/Lucas/Hollins et al and it's enough to make an old man cry for what's been lost, like a long-ago love. Or the Monroe/Frazier/Bradley Knicks, just to name a couple.

What's unwatchable is games that are 18-13 at halftime. They might as well throw mud all over the floor. I absolutely love that they are trying to clean the game up. I don't think they can get it back to where it was skillwise, but kudos to the people in charge for understanding that something had to be done.

Players will have to adjust. And guys like Shaka Smart and Romar will have to learn some new tricks when they can't play whack a mole.

The 60s, when Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double for his career, or Wilt Chamberlain averaging 50 points a game. Those were the days...

[ValencyLovesZagsInAtlanta]

Well after all this I'm willing to be more open minded and hope all of college hoops adjusts to the new rules as the season progresses. In all honesty it may not be the new rules themselves that have me frustrated....it is how consistent the refs can be across the board when implementing the rules. Just like anything else there are varying degrees of competency. With that may come the inconsistencies that cause the game to be unbalanced and without rhythm.