PBA keeping close watch over referees

Now that the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup is in the semifinal phase, expect all games to be even more intense.

And when the competition is at its highest level, the referees step up on their officiating and are always on their toes at any given play.

Maybe not all PBA fans know that there are two cameras strategically positioned in every playing venue that monitor only the referees’ actions.

Yes, these cameras never blink. They record every move the referees make on the court—missed calls, noncalls and wrong calls during the game.

PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial said the cameras are a big help to the technical committee in determining calls during situations which require video consultations.

He said the cameras also help the referees evaluate and improve their performances, while also providing real-time feedback for game officials.

“The cameras are really a huge factor during games,” said Marcial. “Technical officials can monitor the entire game well and make accurate judgments.”

The technical committee reviews a referee’s performance after every game. This serves as basis in determining the referee’s rating or grade level.

“When a referee performs badly in consecutive games, he or she can be suspended or meted out stiff penalties,” added Marcial.

But a referee can’t always be suspended or fined because of wrong calls.

The technical committee looks at a referee’s position when a missed or wrong call takes place before making any decision.

“One time during an Alaska-San Miguel game, the play happened right in front of Alaska’s bench. There was a supposed noncall on Marcio Lassiter. Alaska representative Dickie Bachmann complained at once because he was right there. When the play was reviewed, it was clear that the referee’s view was blocked and so he failed to see if there was a foul or not,” Marcial related.

Marcial said this system considerably improved the performance of the referees and somehow made all the teams appreciate calls or non calls—an integral part of commissioner Chito Narvasa’s mission to make officiating understandable to fans as they are to game officials and coaches.

Narvasa likewise expressed satisfaction for the above-par performance of the PBA’s pool of 16 referees in the ongoing Governors’ Cup

He said none of them have been suspended or fined so far and he’s looking to cut the pool to retain the higher-grade referees during the semifinals of the season-ending third conference.