Credit Vickerman for keeping his cool.I would of got ejected watching that rubbish.

They didn't just stuff up, they had a ten-minute chat between them and some other bloke and ended up applying a rule that doesn't exist.

What realistic measures could they introduce to close the referee skilling gap - both long term and short term.

I can't see the NBL having the money to recruit Euro and NBA calibre referees to Australia. Could BA and the NBL work together to create some kind of Referee Academy?

I don't think the problem is that the ref's here are corrupt, I think its more lack of experience and poor decision making.

Blake Griffin talking about a botched call:

"Listen, reffing games is very hard, I tried to ref a Little League camp game this summer and it didn't go so well, so I know. This game’s going fast. I don’t think any of those guys missed it on purpose, I really don’t."

That Griffin quote doesn't really apply, though. They got the sequence of events bang on, they just applied a rule that didn't exist after ten minutes of discussion. That's the sort of thing that's inexcusable.

Blowing calls in live play I can live with. But that? No.

Nbl refereeing is not their job. It is a hobby/secondary pastime. The amount of money paid and time/effort given does not equate at this point in time.

If you want pro refs... Pay them as pro refs so they can devote their time/attention to it without the distraction of a regular job!

I think that was the one thing missing in the whole scenario, the application of common sense, very hard to teach because it is very hard to find...

I know people are upset but according to some on this thread there is no possible way the referees can improve, and they should be taken somewhere and shot for that performance, as long as it's not a basketball court which they should never step on again dead or alive.

Can understand the red hot anger over a bad call (Lowrey 2001 still burns) and the passion is a good thing but the rhetoric is a little extreme.

"The full time ref comment is a joke. What pay them more and they will suddenly do a better job?"

As a volunteer official in another sport, it definitely will. There's a world of difference when you have have 50-60 extra hours a week to fit in regular review of rules, watching game tapes and practising decision making with video. The alternative is they only get that level of practice in the games themselves and for a few hours here and there.

Just like the athletes and administrators, professionalism of officials creates a career path that makes it worthwhile investing the effort to become really good. It also gives the league more leverage over referees who rely on game payments for their livelihood, instead of it being just a little earner on the side.

What would be interesting to know is what level of professionalism is there at the moment among NBL refs. i.e., are refs paid to train/practise as well as officiate games, like players are? How much do they train each week? What do they get paid for games? Are any of them full-time basketball refs?

What hope do we have when they keep calling charges when the defender has one foot in the air?

They have sorted the issue with the poor decision making by the Refs, now what about the flopping issue?

Games should be able to be video reviewed post match by a Refereeing Panel and fines/suspensions given for Unsportsmanlike conduct and Flopping that may have been missed by the game Refs.

Is it worth the NBL throwing money at getting a very highly skilled FIBA referee official over here to train, monitor and develop and upskill refereeing talent?

Differences in the quality of refereeing is just like the differences in quality of players - there's your Lebrons, Steph Currys, Westbrooks etc and there's your local social league player who can't make a layup.

The positive is that that social league player will probably never be a Westbrook, Curry or Lebron.

But in the refereeing sense, the social league guy can be a Westbrook, Curry or Lebron. Training, education and time.

I agree Macdub, it would be great to have a senior International Fiba Ref as the Referee's Commissioner in charge of improving/maintaining the standard of refereeing in the NBL.
I wonder how much someone qualified would cost per season?

Wow, glad to see the NBL implement immediate rule changes too!

Also in second Video, why the f**k is Homicide running onto the court to celebrate with Goulding? @0:18sec

Whoops, Link:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/basketball/nbl-referees-stood-down-over-farcical-finish-to-melbourne-united-v-new-zealand-clash/news-story/32148e20587c59d18c42c45629966779

I think FIBA have got their own issues sorting out the reffing at the moment to be honest, I'm not sure the FIBA template is what the NBL needs to sell itself as a product at the moment.

Andrew Gaze wants refereeing shut down for a year.

Successive weeks of referees being stood down over games involving calls leading to close wins to Melbourne United.

Great team but they're riding their luck!

Well if you want to run some conspiracy theories check out the foul out stats!

https://twitter.com/nblfacts/status/663886220313755648

What hope do we have when they keep calling charges when the defender has one foot in the air?

I think that one may have sailed over your head Kobes.

Hope Goulding is happy with himself. Getting a reputation of being a me first player under the guise of for the team first and getting the win doing whatever it takes. Unfortunately refs and announcers getting drawn in is affecting their own credibility and he is getting off scott free. Time for his coach to give him a sit down talk on professionalism and how to give and more importantly how to show respect if he is to go anywhere in this game. Betting Europe and NBA got a glimpse of his attitude and thought 'high risk' over gee we can develop this guy he has talent.

I would love to know what the attending NBA (Dallas?) scout thought of that ending?

I don't think he would have though too much of it actually, maybe a shake of the head and a small blessing that he will soon return to the U.S.A...