Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
Friday, December 8, 2006, Washington Post

Zero Tolerance: No Argument Here

The National Basketball Association has a new rule this season. It's called "zero tolerance." NBA referees are not letting players complain too long or too loudly about a ref's call. A player who does can be given a technical foul. Two technical fouls and the player is out of the game.

The referees are serious about the new rule. In the first 225 NBA games this season, refs called 175 technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct. That's 55 more than at the same point last year.

The players don't like the new rule and want the NBA to change it. They think it's only natural to get upset during a close, hard-fought game if a call goes against you.

I love the "zero-tolerance" rule and wish other sports would follow the NBA's example. Wouldn't it be more enjoyable if football, soccer and tennis players stopped arguing the calls and just played the game? It seems that the only sport these days in which players don't argue calls is golf. Maybe that's because it's the only game where the players call penalties on themselves.

The biggest reason I like the new NBA rule is that it sets a good example for younger athletes. When kids (and coaches and parents) see pros such as Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons yelling at the refs and arguing every call, they think it's okay if they do the same. They think it's part of the game.

But yelling at refs and arguing calls should never be part of any kids' games. Kids should be taught to forget about the ref's calls and concentrate on improving their skills and playing their best.

All athletes need to learn that you control only one thing in a game, and that's your own performance. You can't control what the other players or coaches do. And you certainly can't control the calls the referees make.

Finally, everyone -- from NBA all-stars to 8-year-olds -- should remember that being a basketball referee is a tough job. The ref has to make dozens of split-second calls. No hesitation. No second chances. Not even the best referee gets every call right.

Maybe if the players, coaches and fans who scream at the referees had to wear a whistle and call a few games, there wouldn't be as many complaints about the "zero-tolerance" rule.