By Charles Curcio, Sports Editor
Thursday, October 9, 2008 — It’s nice to know that not all decisions have to be made with the same speed and subjectiveness of sports.
I can calmly walk into a voting both in Stanly County, receieve a toothbrush and a letter opener from candidate supporters, be greeted by the friendly election staff and calmly make my choices for our leaders.
Standing on the sidelines last night under an umbrella, I noticed how quickly some of the decisions in sports have to be.
When there are not as many fans in the stands, you can pick up individual comments from parents who are less than thrilled about the decision of the officials.
Two players will collide or make contact in a way that does not seem like a foul to an impartial observer but is contact that under the rules could be called a foul.
That is one of the problems with the rules of some sports, their subjective nature.
I have never been a fan much of the judging of ice skating and gymnastics, in particular because the score is based on a person’s judgement.
We all know that reputation can sometimes unknowingly influence calls on a field, like an NBA star who gets away with travelling every time because he dunks.
Many of the calls in certain sports have with it some degree of subjectivity.
In hockey, for example, there are a lot of times when you will see players finish their checks off long after the offensive player has passed the puck away.
There is also a great deal of contact in the slot, which is in front of the goal, as the offense tries to screen the goalie from seeing the shot come in.
However, if a player gets his stick up high and hurts someone, the ref’s arm will go up immediately.
Pass interference and holding are football penalties that have given heartburn to fans around the world.
You could call holding on just about any play and there are not too many times on long bombs down the sideline that the defensive back and the wideout have not bumped and pushed.
Watching the soccer games from yesterday, I realized that maybe some of the rules are in place for when fouls are so egregious that something has to be in place to maintain control.
Basketball referees will often call games tighter in the second half in the hopes of controlling the level of contact and keeping order.
Some rules in the game are not subjective and are there to maintain the integrity and competitiveness of the game.
So I applaud those illegal screen and travelling calls because they are fundamental to the game.
Teams deserve a fair chance at winning and referees sometimes should just get out of the players’ way and let them play the game.
All we can ask for from officiating is impartiality and consistency.
Contact Charles Curcio at (704) 982-2121, ext. 12, or email at charles@stanlynewspress.com.
