Narvasa sees well played, officiated 41st season

Game tomorrow (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

3 p.m. – Opening ceremonies

5:15 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs Star

MANILA, Philippines –  For new PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa, their preseason games free of any untoward incident is an indication the players have adjusted and embraced the new officiating “philosophy” enforced in the league.

“I believe the players have adjusted. I’d asked our officials to watch out, and we didn’t see a single fight in our preseason games,” said Narvasa, noting several melees in previous years.

“We’re back to playing the game of basketball as we learned it while growing up,” said Narvasa of the officiating they’re running in PBA Season 41 that fires off tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Star Hotshots, the 2013-14 grand slam champs, and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the only team to make the Final Four of each conference last season, clash in the 5:15 p.m. lone game during the inaugurals.

The traditional opening rites precede the game at 3 p.m.

Flagrant fouls, heated confrontations and full-blown fight had been norms in the past years when the league became a little lenient on calling fouls.

The league had returned to a virtual “no-harm, no-foul” rule making PBA play highly physical and rugged, leading to a number of scuffles even in offseason games.

Shortly before the start of the season last year, Rico Villanueva and Ryan Araña figured in a fight in an NLEX-Rain or Shine tussle. And before the second conference, Yousef Taha and import Richard Jackson traded blows in a Star-RoS tiff.

To address the problem, Narvasa, who had coaching stints with Shell and Purefoods in the 90s, instructed the referees to make the calls the way they should be called.

Under the rules, excessive physicality (wrestling), holding, pulling of jersey and shorts and advantage fouls automatically earns a whistle.

“Play the ball and not the man. That’s basically what we’re trying to tell the players,” Narvasa said. “Once everybody gets used to it, games will be fast-paced. The players who perform well and the coach with the brilliant game plan will win in the end.”

Narvasa personally made the rounds of the 12 teams during practices to explain the new philosophy.

He believes communication is a big key.

While the three-man crew on the floor remains, Narvasa is introducing the four-referee rotation which allows the commissioner to assign an extra referee in each game. The fourth referee can substitute any of the three on the court, giving the commissioner four referees at his disposal every game.