More FEU questions on ‘protest’

Far Eastern University has raised more questions after commissioner Andy Jao junked the Tamaraws’ protest of their overtime loss to Ateneo, 68-64, in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

FEU athletics director Mark Molina, in a letter sent to UAAP president Carmelita Mateo yesterday, sought a clarification on the video replay rule but stated that the Tamaraws are still ready to play La Salle in the playoff for the No. 2 spot this Sunday.

Molina blasted the game officials’ “lack of sense of urgency” to correct the contentious shot of Ateneo’s Von Pessumal. He also noted that the referee, in a video sent by FEU, did not signal that the attempt was a three-pointer.

Last Monday, FEU coach Nash Racela filed a protest where they questioned the timing of the correction of Pessumal’s shot, which was ruled as a two-pointer at the 3:20 mark and later corrected to a three-pointer with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Racela noted that if it was indeed a three-point shot, it “should have been done in the first dead ball opportunity” since the “grave error determined the outcome of the game.”

Jao dismissed the protest the following day, saying the referee indicated that the shot was a triple and the late correction did not violate any technical rule.

In his ruling, Jao said game officials have three instances to correct an error: the first dead ball situation, during a timeout and before the quarter ends.

“If the rule means you can review before the end of the period then why was the phrase ‘first dead ball opportunity’ added to the rule?” Molina asked in the letter.

“In the attached video of the shot [referee] Maynard Ballecer does not raise his two hands [to signal a three-point attempt],” said Molina. “Who said he raised his two hands? If he did raise his two hands, why didn’t the scorer see him?”