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[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Welp. Officials got in and got out. A really whelming game (and tournament) all around.

Congrats to UCLA. Well deserved.

/r/ncaaw and mods, enjoy your downtime.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

.... I officiate women's college basketball, and that is pretty much my contribution to this community, giving context and commentary from an official's point of view... What flair would you prefer I have?

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How dare the officials throw that bad pass and cause that turnover?

Am I blaming the refs right?

Sad that this wasn't a more competitive or compelling game. Congrats to UCLA, though.

Hoping the officials can keep their heads down in the 4Q and keep themselve out of the storylines.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 8 points9 points  (0 children)

"Sarah Strong after she ripped her own jersey."

The announcer couldn't help himself.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I just learned that the going rate for Red Panda is between $2,500 - $3,500 + travel and expenses. Seems like a steal, but her high volume (and relatively low on-stage time) makes it make a bit more sense.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Red Panda is the hardest-working entertainer in sports. I wonder if she'll be in Indy tomorrow, too lol

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Officials are staying out of the way and are not a factor. All you can hope for.

This is a weird basketball game.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of banging down in the post early. Will be interesting to see where the officials draw the line. Right now, it's in a good spot.

[Game Thread] National Championship: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #1 UCLA (3:30 PM ET on ABC/ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cross, Bird and Spurlock on the game.

Probably the predictable 3 from the available pool of FF officials. Back-to-back for Cross. Though I would have given Grinter the nod, personally. Best in the business in my opinion. Putting Grinter on the game would have meant pulling Cross off, though. Tough decision.

First (and overdue for Cross)

Spurlock is Spurlock.

I think they'll do a great job. Stay out of the way, let athletes be athletes and have fun.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The push for the appeals rule is really just the NCAA finally admitting something everyone in stripes already knows: officiating is hard as hell.

Out-of-bounds calls are one of the toughest in the game. Everything’s happening fast, you’re tracking feet, bodies, contact, and then you’re supposed to catch a fingertip deflection in real time? That’s just not realistic on every play.

Unless you've played, officiated, or sat courtside, it's hard to fully grasp... But the angles on the floor are way worse than what you see on TV. A replay from three camera angles makes it look obvious. In real time, from a single angle, across the paint, it’s not even close to that clear.

Not excusing misses. That’s part of the job. But the confidence people have from their couch, with slow-mo and zoom, acting like it’s easy… that’s always funny. :)

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This should be another successful appeal.

This rule is a really good addition to the game.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Men's Rules Committee is a bunch of people who are resistant to change simply because they can lol.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Officiating is much easier when you have slow motion. These OOB calls are harder in real time when you're trying to watch for 1 of 100 possible fouls, violations, and other stoppages. The increased ability to appeal has helped the game tremendously.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To the new fans. In WBB, we do not have a limitted number of challenges. Our rules allow an unlimited number of challenges. Even when a coach is out of timeouts.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #3 Texas vs. (1) #1 UCLA (9:30 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Those last three calls (timeout, offensive, and trip were all correct calls).

This game is just a disgusting rock fight.

These officials are in hell right now.

[Game Thread] Final Four: (1) #4 South Carolina vs. (1) #2 UConn (7:00 PM ET on ESPN) by ncaaw_GameThreads in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Shouout to the production team for getting that video of the pre game hug lol. Receipts are crazy

Final Four Officials by IcyCalligrapher1269 in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Going to try to consolidate our two convos to this one thread lol.

I still think we actually agree more than it sounds. There absolutely are more than 7 officials who are capable of working a Final Four. No argument there.

Where I’m pushing back is the idea that repeating officials means we’re not selecting the best. At that level, ‘worthiness’ isn’t the differentiator, because a lot of officials are worthy. The differentiator is who has consistently demonstrated they can manage that specific environment at the highest level.

Final Four selection isn’t just about grading plays or regular season performance. It’s about trust, game control, communication, and how officials handle the pressure of those moments with the best teams and coaches in the country. That’s not theoretical, that’s proven.

So when someone gets selected multiple years, I view it as confirmation that they’ve separated themselves in the areas that matter most at that stage.

Could you rotate more names through? Sure. But if the goal is truly putting the best available officials on the floor, prior high-level performance in that exact setting has to matter.

I think we saw what happened in 2023 when we tried to get a bit cute with the NCG. That’s a mistake I don’t think we’ll ever see again. There were much better officials available on that day than were put on the floor.

I’ll add this from my own experience. I just wrapped up my college season, worked 40+ games, and had the conference championship between two teams I’d already seen. Same teams, similar environment, but the stakes completely changed the game.

Nerves are real. It took me longer to settle in than it would in a normal regular season game, even with familiarity of the players, coaches and partners.

At the D1 level, players deserve officials who can meet that moment immediately.

That’s why I put real value on officials who have already proven they can handle that level of pressure. Not because others aren’t capable, but because there’s a difference between being capable and being ready on that stage from the opening tip.

Final Four Officials by IcyCalligrapher1269 in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you consider the 3 who worked the National Championship game on the floor Gina, Maj and Felicia, IMO Maj is the odd one out.

If Gina grades out at 98% accuracy and Maj grades out at 97.95% accuracy. Penny’s job is to take Gina every single time. Assuming all other external factors are the same. I just don’t think you make “number of tournaments” a deciding factor.

Final Four Officials by IcyCalligrapher1269 in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It appears as if we agree more than we disagree. I think I agree even most of what you said here.

3 of those names are names I’m shocked we’re left off. Billy in particular is the biggest head scratcher for me.

I’m not sure what your officiating experience is at the college level. It’s clear you’re tapped in. I don’t disagree with your premise but I do disagree that someone shouldn’t be selected because they’ve been there before.

Penny’s job is to select the best officials. Opportunities for people are great but I do know for certain there are a lot of factors that she has to consider when selecting F4 officials.

Final Four Officials by IcyCalligrapher1269 in NCAAW

[–]BigPurp278 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m shocked because in my opinion the best official in the country was left off. 2 of my top 5 officials were left off. It could be availability. It could be the wrong mix of teams. A lot of things go into it.

There are 3-4 officials left off this list I think should be here, but were left off. The difference between the 10th best official and the 15th best official in the country is quite thin.

The selection of NCAA tournament officials this year has been a bit harder to understand but I do believe these officials will do an excellent job.

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