Athletic Support: “Replays Slowing Basketball Down”

Eli Cranor

2 years ago

Dear Athletic Support: Like everybody else, me and my wife have been watching a bunch of college basketball over the last few weeks. Our kids are grown with kids of their own now. The grandkids aren’t old enough to play organized sports yet. So if this question comes off as silly, please excuse me. But here’s the thing — I can’t stand all these slow-motion replays. Lord. They slow the game down something awful. And it seems like every game I watch, the more replays there are. What is this about? Whatever happened to just making a call and sticking with it? Seems like the last three minutes of any of these tournament games winds up taking thirty minutes or more. My biggest question, though, is whether or not they do this stuff in high school ball. If so, I’m dreading the days when my grandkids are old enough to play! — Speed It Up

Dear Speed: Instant replay technology isn’t used for high school basketball games in most states, and I think that’s a good thing.

High school sports are different from college. There’s still an innocence left to the game, or at least there should be.

Besides, all of that equipment is expensive. In order to get proper shots/angles, there has to be a lot of cameras in the gym.

Most high schools simply don’t have the funds or resources needed in order to have instant replay.

The referees raise another question.

High school refs for any sport are quickly becoming a dying breed. They’re underpaid and over criticized. Honestly, what kind of person actually wants to be a high school ref?

Luckily, there are some guys and girls devoted enough to don the stripes and whistle. Because without referees, there wouldn’t be high school sports at all.

Back when I was coaching, I think we paid refs somewhere right around seventy-five bucks per varsity football game. The junior high games earned even less.

If a state’s activity association were to try and implement instant replay technology, that would mean even more training for an already over-worked position.

What I’m saying here is that the refs would have to actually know how to work those cameras. Which sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I’m not saying they couldn’t do it. I’m just saying learning to do it could make their job even harder.

Long story short, I don’t think you have much to worry about here. Money for cameras and lack of time for refs will most likely keep instant replay technology out of high school sports for a good long while.

Eli Cranor is a former professional quarterback and coach turned award-winning author. His debut novel, Don’t Know Tough, is available wherever books are sold. Send questions for “Athletic Support” to eli.cranor@gmail.com

***