Officiating remains major concern for PBA

Are PBA referees getting used to making mistakes on the court that they’re also getting used to all those fines and suspensions being hurled against them?

"I don’t think so," said commissioner Noli Eala yesterday after a crucial judgment error by the referees marred last Sunday’s game between Shell and Sta. Lucia in the Samsung PBA All-Filipino Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Shell won the game it couldn’t afford to lose, 78-73, but not after the referees erred in not calling a foul on Tony dela Cruz who nudged Sta. Lucia’s Kenneth Duremdes as the latter went up for a potential game-tying three-pointer with only nine seconds left.

The game ended with another Shell basket, Duremdes sprawled on the floor ruing the non-call, and Sta. Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua berating, at the top of his lungs, referees Boy Cruz (the crew chief), Joey Calungcaguin and Patrick Canizares.

Chua was fined an "undisclosed" amount for his post-game outburst but escaped suspension. The referees, on their part, were all suspended a minimum of two games on top of fines, the amount also undisclosed.

For Cruz and Calungcaguin, it wasn’t the first time this conference that they were either fined or suspended for an error. They were also among three referees who officiated the more controversial Ginebra-Talk N Text match that was ordered by Eala replayed last month due to a technical error involving a last-second shot by Asi Taulava.

But despite all these, Eala said the referees continue to enjoy his trust and confidence as the league strives harder to improve the brand of officiating.

"We don’t think they (referees) have been consistently or deliberately making mistakes. It’s part of the game and these are judgment calls. Of course, we hope that it will be fewer and we also hope that the twin requirements of consistency and close to perfection can be accomplished by the referees," said Eala during the PSA Forum at the Manila Pavilion.

"Refereeing is a very difficult job and these referees are entitled to make mistakes but that the leeway is not too much and that they don’t make as many mistakes at critical stages of the game. We’re doing all we can to improve the officiating," he added.

Officiating is just one of the problems hounding Eala in his five-month stay as commissioner considering that there’s the ‘Fil-Shams" issue and the drug-related controversies enough to chew up all his time in and out of his PBA office.

On Chua, an explosive coach win or lose, Eala said a repetition of such behavior will be meted with a heavier penalty, including a suspension.

"And he welcomed the PBA decision. In fact, he volunteered to come to my office the other day even before the summon was served," said the commissioner.

Eala added that the PBA, from now on, will try to keep the amount of fines from the public.

"Nothing secretive. We’re just beginning to realize that fines should not be the basis or evaluation by the public on what the PBA has done. More than anything, it also leads to embarrassment and ridicule for the people involved," he explained.

Compared to the Ginebra-Talk N Text match where the error on whether or not to count Asi Taulava’s "buzzer-beater" altered the result of the game, last Sunday’s game was completely different in that it was a judgment call and did not involve a technicality. It was, Eala said, purely a decision on whether or not to call a foul on Shell’s Dela Cruz.

"The second difference is that Sta. Lucia did not protest this game. That’s why there was no reason for the PBA to declare a rematch or not," Eala added.

"I talked to the referees and again, there were certain reasons regarding the non-call. But a mistake is a mistake. We are doing this (fines and suspensions) not because we’re losing confidence on the referees but to rectify the mistakes."