I'm a Celtics fan and I swear every play Tatum and Grant Williams think they are fouled. Its so annoying! Rugby Union deal with this the best. Short of just giving quick T's i'm not sure how you can patrol this.

Remember Dwight Howard?

Definitely noticed that myself. I love LeBron to death but he's annoying as shit.

Bench them for a couple possessions maybe?

Rillie is no orphan. No other sport in Australia has such whingeing coaches. (Maybe A League). Is a terrible blight on the NBL and they should be throwing fines around.

That said, more also needs to be done improve umpiring standards. Improve that, less to whinge about.

They are whinging cause it works, Sobey is a perfect example, though their are probably 1 or 2 in every team. Home court advantage is something all ballers know about. Intimidation is part of the modern game. Personally I think it is a blight on society. We have all these role models teaching the playing community to disrespect authority. Unfortunately too many coaches, players and spectators think this behavior is acceptable with I guess too many refs proving this to be an effective tool

Brian Goorjian and Trevor Gleeson, especially in Perth, were absolute masters at this just complaining and whinging to the refs so incessantly coupled with the noise of the fans at home to sway and intimidate the refs into getting more calls.

Buford is up there, I do agree on the refs though, they seem to blow every little touch and let physical fouls go.

The two sports I follow the most have a massive problem with this, being basketball and football (the world game), as they've both become a massive whingefest for entitled pro athletes.

The solution is simple as all FIBA or FIFA would need to do is copycat and implement the respect law, regarding player conduct towards officials, from rugby union.

It won't happen though sadly. Football has shown this with their video replay system which should have copied rugby's TMO but instead they had to go their own way with the abortion that is VAR.

Tighten up the techs. Simple.

Personally I kind of enjoy the theatre. To an extent.

I see a difference between how we should view the players and how we should view coaches. Players are out there in the heat of battle busting their backsides, and I am inclined to forgive them a complaint here and there. Coaches should be on it not in it, they are there to coach their team not insert themselves into the action, and should pipe down.
I am a big supporter of the approach the VJBL has taken. I was dubious at first, but it has worked well. This time in 2012 I was lamenting the shocking behaviour of so many coaches; now in 2022 it is uncommon to see a coach behaving poorly. The next challenge for the VJBL is to make consistent across associations the extent of tolerance by refs (I am frustrated that at one venue you sneeze and you get a warning and at the next venue the opposition coach is in the refs ears all night with nothing done). But thats for another thread perhaps.
Back to the NBL, I think they need to crack down on the coaches, I for one detest the constant barking at the refs, and it sets a good example for no one. Let the players be - at this point, fix the coaches.

Webster last night showed how players can speak to the refs, respectful, calm, no ranting. I'm fine with this sort dialogue. The yelling at refs should be jumped on straight away, whether it’s coach or players. Buford doing his dances and what down the side line is fine as long as he shuts the f.. k up.

Agree with LV ......I enjoy the theatre of coaches carrying on like pork chops it can be entertaining.

But it distracts and can have a real negative impact on the game as a whole.

Have been involved in playing, coaching and admin of basketball for decades. While numbers of players continues to increase here in Tas and elsewhere the one area of the game that is a real challenge is getting and retaining refs. Wh.o wants to be yelled at sworn at continually for not a lot of coin

Believe coaches have some responsibility to the game, techs will stop the over the top stuff and should be handed out more regularly. Yes there is gamemanship and coaches have a right to question a call but the way some are carrying on is over the top.

Disagree with 'improve the calls, the whinging will stop' - it does not excuse the pathetic behavior that is occurring.

Bad calls go both ways, watch a game something happens ball ends up going the other way due to a turnover or another call.


Coaches and some players should pull their heads in. If it keeps going there will be techs given out and then there will be more whinging on here. Responsibility rests not only with refs but coaches and players.

The thing is, the reffing panel is so inexperienced and inconsistent - and poorly led - the coaches know they have an impact on calls by constantly getting on the refs.

As an example, Rillie was on the refs last night about Sobey pushing off with his right hand, sure enough a few minutes later he gets whistled for a soft as butter push off.

It should not be up to Rillie to point out that Sobey pushes off with his right hand, refs got see it and call it. A foul is a foul and yet big name players get away with fouls that are called on lesser players. Like players, the refs got become full time, go over tapes, train, have a plan for all refs to follow, so they all make consistent calls. Two those push in the back calls last night were a joke, some of the back down calls the same, fall over it's a charge, stay on your feet and try play strong D it’s a foul.

Yep players, coaches and players all need to improve.


Dunkman -Take your point re not being Rillies role to point out every call....


NBL refs may be getting close to full time does not equate to ref numbers at junior / senior both at domestic and representative levels across the country.

Some sports (hockey) have players as part of their development reffing games, would not be a bad thing to happen with basketball. I know most NBL coaches act like they could do a better job.

Yep reffing needs developing that does not give players and coaches to carry on the way they are. It distracts from the game.

"It should not be up to Rillie to point out that Sobey pushes off with his right hand, refs got see it and call it. A foul is a foul and yet big name players get away with fouls."


If a foul is a foul can you please stop complaining about refs calling soft ones (like the one they called on Sobes)! I'd just love them to understand that not all body contact is a foul, and that players putting their hands all over ball-handlers is!

I don't think they've got much hope when Scott Butler reviews the minutest of body contact and reaffirms it as a foul. Time for new leadership methinks.

Yeah agree with this:

"not all body contact is a foul, and that players putting their hands all over ball-handlers is", and to be honest when coaching it fires me up (yeah I'm a hypocrite!)

Watch the ball handler getting hacked with bad D (no effort to get in front but hack from the side) then a soft body foul is called in the block.

Always tried to coach good D with the need to get back and in front of the ball handler and when other teams get away with not doing so it goes against that and players get lazy.

Some sports (hockey) have players as part of their development reffing games, would not be a bad thing to happen with basketball. I know most NBL coaches act like they could do a better job.

There was a time when teams had to supply a ref each week, but the complaints then were of bias and or inability. School competition out West require each team to supply a ref. As a result our school proactive in training officials and no tolerance from school admin to official abuse no matter how minor.

The problem with fast tracking past players is generally sports administrators are looking for retired "name" players so they can double dip and not only get to officiate but then be the face of the “program”. The problem is those “name” players are cooked when they retire physically and just can't do the conditioning to officiate (a sport like cricket being the anomaly). The AFL have a past players program but have had trouble attracting “elite” players and any top level players at all. (Banister & Fisher are hardly household names)

Take a step back and recognise the problem of ref shortages needs a lot of work. Past players is only one angle, pay and recognising the effect of abuse also needs addressing.

Coaches / players need to take on some responsibility.

The fast tracking by FIFA has nothing to do with signing name players, which would be dumb, but recruiting those who have a better feel and understanding for the game.

And most players think it is beneath them. But the AFLis a 150k part time job so it's surprising more dont jump. But having said that most players in most sports don’t know the rules

As a Hawks fan I've watched a lot of Sam Froling whinging.