Illegal screen, all game/every game. That wasn't a remotely marginal screen. You don't make that call you cheat Iowa. Set a better screen. Don't blame the referee that had the courage to make the right call regardless of circumstances. Ask the New Orleans Saints about a ref not having the courage to throw a flag in a key situation. Refs at that level are paid a ton of money to have the guts to make the right call even in the toughest of circumstances. Get the play right... and they did.
I think this one was clearly a foul, and not even that borderline, so they had to call it. Also, UConn might have had another chance if they could have grabbed the rebound when Clark missed the second foul shot. Scanning through Twitter (I don't care what Elon calls it) I was impressed by the number of tweets about this. Man, the women's game has come a long way. I'm not even sure how much of the men's Final Four I'll tune into today, but I know I will be watching tomorrow!
I’m actually a proponent that at the end of close game, the officials should try to swallow their whistles and let the game be decided on the floor. However, while I guess folks want to create a controversy based on so many people writing about this one call, I don’t think there is a controversy as much as an attempt to manufacture one. It was clearly a foul. Not a close call. A very clear foul. And had they not called it, my guess is everyone would be writing about that, because it gets more readers than writing about a brilliantly played game.
It is disheartening to me that the focus is on the call, vs. focusing 100% on an absolutely marvelous basketball game that all of us were fortunate to watch. This game was so good it almost wiped away the agony of watching the 2nd half of the Blazers/Charlotte on PVR three days ago. There should be controversy around if that was an actual NBA game 😆
Not only was it a moving screen but Marshall took a forearm to the neck and face.
What is being missed here is that women's basketball officiating is poor at best. In their first round game with West Virginia, Iowa was molested by a bunch of thugs and rarely got a call.
Here's the problem with the "Let the players determine the game" theory. It doesn't just apply to the offense. In this case, the defensive player wasn't allowed to help determine the outcome because of an illegal action by the screener (and I agree there's no question it was a foul, even in real-time). And in this case, if you watched the entire game, Gabby Marshall is a hard-working & effective defender. She would have affected whatever Paige Bueckers would have done with a final shot.
While I agree that a coach should make different strategy decisions based on time, situation and score, as a fan that is not what I want from an official. I want consistency. I would think that the coaches and players would want consistency too. Don’t tighten or loosen the calls just because it is late in the game. Call it the same. That is your job.
This screen was illegal in three ways (per the NCAA rulebook).
1. Her base was too wide.
2. She was sliding
3. Her left arm was outside of its normal width (it was a chicken wing, but that term isn't in the rule book).
It was a crappy pick. "Let the players decide it"? They did... she set a pick that was illegal on three points...any one of which would have been enough for a foul...by rule.
There are going to proponents on both sides of this issue so my opinion doesn't matter. What I took from this is that Paige Bueckers is not only a talented basketball player but also a class act. I am now a Paige Bueckers fan....and I wasn't prior to this game. I also find myself with very little interest in the Men's Tourney. The women have spoiled me....and that is a great thing.
John - while I often agree with you, I have to take issue with the so-called "controversy" (media driven and embellished) in the Iowa v. UConn game. If we adopted some kind of "end of game don't call an obvious foul" philosophy it would end up as a travesty and impossible to officiate. The controversy would then expand into what constitutes the end of the game, what contact is enough or not enough, and what score differential should invoke the philosophy? The contact in question was an obvious foul and needs to be called no matter when it occurs.
The job is hard enough without injecting another difficult judgement into the mix which would always be questioned by the losing team and, of course, the media. The more judgements you add.....the more inconsistency will necessarily occur. In football, when should we not call holding - last 2 minutes? 1 minute? last play of the game? What should the score be - one touchdown behind, 10 points, 3 points, what yard line, what down, etc. etc.?
The "controversy" changes the narrative taking a well-earned victory away from the deserving team. Blaming officials is the new national pastime these days. No wonder there is a shortage of officials at the youth level!
Welp. Seems to me setting an illegal screen is taking an unfair advantage, to the detriment of your opponent - in the first half, the second, overtime, whenever. But I take your point.
Me personally, I have seen enough of the UConn women's dynasty, impressive though it is. Some new blood at the top is good for the game, I reckon.
She moved, and then stuck her elbow out. The elbow is always whistled. Clearly a foul. If you want the “players to decide it,” don’t employ refs. Let the players police themselves. “Call your own fouls” is what we called it at the Y. We all know how well that works.
I read this BFT shaking my head. Since when is it okay to suggest that maybe it could be okay if the referees let the women “play on”, and overlooked a foul because the game was nearly over. In my mind, that thought is over the top.
As someone who officiated high school and college baseball for over 20 years, I'm never buying the argument that officials should change the way they officiate if it's late in a tight game.
Never.
Please give me the rationale I would need to explain that kind of thinking to players and coaches - not to mention fans - that would be affected because I'm making the subjective decision that it's time to "let the players decide the game"...with the implication I'm not calling it by the book, fairly and the same as I was calling it earlier in the game. Please...tell me how I explain that rationale, particularly when I make the decision during the game that we're now at the point where I change the way I should be officiating.
The two worst decisions an official can make are, 1 - change the way I officiate because it's late in a tight game, and, 2 - I just blew a call, so I'm going to give the other team a "make-up" call.
No good official will ever purposefully do either. Never. Not once. It's completely without integrity.
Illegal screen, all game/every game. That wasn't a remotely marginal screen. You don't make that call you cheat Iowa. Set a better screen. Don't blame the referee that had the courage to make the right call regardless of circumstances. Ask the New Orleans Saints about a ref not having the courage to throw a flag in a key situation. Refs at that level are paid a ton of money to have the guts to make the right call even in the toughest of circumstances. Get the play right... and they did.
I think this one was clearly a foul, and not even that borderline, so they had to call it. Also, UConn might have had another chance if they could have grabbed the rebound when Clark missed the second foul shot. Scanning through Twitter (I don't care what Elon calls it) I was impressed by the number of tweets about this. Man, the women's game has come a long way. I'm not even sure how much of the men's Final Four I'll tune into today, but I know I will be watching tomorrow!
I’m actually a proponent that at the end of close game, the officials should try to swallow their whistles and let the game be decided on the floor. However, while I guess folks want to create a controversy based on so many people writing about this one call, I don’t think there is a controversy as much as an attempt to manufacture one. It was clearly a foul. Not a close call. A very clear foul. And had they not called it, my guess is everyone would be writing about that, because it gets more readers than writing about a brilliantly played game.
It is disheartening to me that the focus is on the call, vs. focusing 100% on an absolutely marvelous basketball game that all of us were fortunate to watch. This game was so good it almost wiped away the agony of watching the 2nd half of the Blazers/Charlotte on PVR three days ago. There should be controversy around if that was an actual NBA game 😆
Not only was it a moving screen but Marshall took a forearm to the neck and face.
What is being missed here is that women's basketball officiating is poor at best. In their first round game with West Virginia, Iowa was molested by a bunch of thugs and rarely got a call.
Like you said the officials are in a no win situation- if no foul was called and U Conn wins on the ensuing 3-Point shot, then “Iowa was robbed”.
Here's the problem with the "Let the players determine the game" theory. It doesn't just apply to the offense. In this case, the defensive player wasn't allowed to help determine the outcome because of an illegal action by the screener (and I agree there's no question it was a foul, even in real-time). And in this case, if you watched the entire game, Gabby Marshall is a hard-working & effective defender. She would have affected whatever Paige Bueckers would have done with a final shot.
Leaned in and threw her elbow. There fixed it for you John. It was the right call. Now go Iowa beat SC !!
While I agree that a coach should make different strategy decisions based on time, situation and score, as a fan that is not what I want from an official. I want consistency. I would think that the coaches and players would want consistency too. Don’t tighten or loosen the calls just because it is late in the game. Call it the same. That is your job.
This screen was illegal in three ways (per the NCAA rulebook).
1. Her base was too wide.
2. She was sliding
3. Her left arm was outside of its normal width (it was a chicken wing, but that term isn't in the rule book).
It was a crappy pick. "Let the players decide it"? They did... she set a pick that was illegal on three points...any one of which would have been enough for a foul...by rule.
Paige had it right
As many have said, ‘twas the elbow that made the difference.
Never understood the swallowing of the whistle in the closing moments of a game…but there’s a lot to refereeing I don’t understand
I like that Lanning’s still recognized for his decisions in Husky games 😎
GO DAWGS
There are going to proponents on both sides of this issue so my opinion doesn't matter. What I took from this is that Paige Bueckers is not only a talented basketball player but also a class act. I am now a Paige Bueckers fan....and I wasn't prior to this game. I also find myself with very little interest in the Men's Tourney. The women have spoiled me....and that is a great thing.
John - while I often agree with you, I have to take issue with the so-called "controversy" (media driven and embellished) in the Iowa v. UConn game. If we adopted some kind of "end of game don't call an obvious foul" philosophy it would end up as a travesty and impossible to officiate. The controversy would then expand into what constitutes the end of the game, what contact is enough or not enough, and what score differential should invoke the philosophy? The contact in question was an obvious foul and needs to be called no matter when it occurs.
The job is hard enough without injecting another difficult judgement into the mix which would always be questioned by the losing team and, of course, the media. The more judgements you add.....the more inconsistency will necessarily occur. In football, when should we not call holding - last 2 minutes? 1 minute? last play of the game? What should the score be - one touchdown behind, 10 points, 3 points, what yard line, what down, etc. etc.?
The "controversy" changes the narrative taking a well-earned victory away from the deserving team. Blaming officials is the new national pastime these days. No wonder there is a shortage of officials at the youth level!
Welp. Seems to me setting an illegal screen is taking an unfair advantage, to the detriment of your opponent - in the first half, the second, overtime, whenever. But I take your point.
Me personally, I have seen enough of the UConn women's dynasty, impressive though it is. Some new blood at the top is good for the game, I reckon.
She moved, and then stuck her elbow out. The elbow is always whistled. Clearly a foul. If you want the “players to decide it,” don’t employ refs. Let the players police themselves. “Call your own fouls” is what we called it at the Y. We all know how well that works.
I read this BFT shaking my head. Since when is it okay to suggest that maybe it could be okay if the referees let the women “play on”, and overlooked a foul because the game was nearly over. In my mind, that thought is over the top.
Great column - very provocative.
As someone who officiated high school and college baseball for over 20 years, I'm never buying the argument that officials should change the way they officiate if it's late in a tight game.
Never.
Please give me the rationale I would need to explain that kind of thinking to players and coaches - not to mention fans - that would be affected because I'm making the subjective decision that it's time to "let the players decide the game"...with the implication I'm not calling it by the book, fairly and the same as I was calling it earlier in the game. Please...tell me how I explain that rationale, particularly when I make the decision during the game that we're now at the point where I change the way I should be officiating.
The two worst decisions an official can make are, 1 - change the way I officiate because it's late in a tight game, and, 2 - I just blew a call, so I'm going to give the other team a "make-up" call.
No good official will ever purposefully do either. Never. Not once. It's completely without integrity.