If they called "fouls" what they are, namely cheating, there wouldn't be nearly so many of them. Rules exist in a game for a reason. When cheating has become a part of the game to the extent that it has in basketball, then it becomes obvious that, somewhere along the line, the players and coaches and organization and referees have lost sight of what basketball was supposed to be, and are instead trying to make it into something else - something that lasts twice as long as it should and thrives on dishonesty (another name for "fouling").
R.I.P.
Basketball
January 20, 1892 - April 30, 2003
4 comments:
Cheating? I disagree, players are merely using the rules to their advantage... I see nothing wrong with that. They're just being smart.
You're right, they're "using the rules to their advantage" - by breaking them. If the rules mean so little to the sport, then why have them at all? Which rules really matter? Who decides? By the time you're through sorting out the answers to these questions, you have a completely different game on your hands - and it's not basketball.
I think your analysis is misplaced in the game of basketball. When a player commits a foul, he is playing within the rules of the game, not exceeding them. The rules in basketball enforce a quasi competitive balance. When one exceeds an amorphous level of contact that is viewed to put the other player at a disadvantage, one is given a foul and the other team receives some sort of benefit. A player has five/six fouls to "give." The player must attempt to use those to the best competitive advantage, without exceeding it. The player who is fouled is awarded with the ball, foul shots, time on the shot clock, etc. Thus, fouls become a strategic part of the game.
For example, think of the classic "hack-a-Shaq" strategy of the late '90s. Shaq was such an offensive juggernaut it was worth fouling him and putting him on the foul line then letting him shoot the ball 2 ft. from the hoop. This is a strategic use of the rules, not an infringement.
Your analysis is much more akin to the rules of football. In football, a team is penalized for exceeding the rules. Because there is absolutely no advantage in breaking the rules like there is in basketball, breaking the rules is much similar to cheating.
Brandon Pond
Brandon's legal mind is developing nicely. I'm going to have to agree with him on this one.
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