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The MYTH that the referees call less fouls during the playoffs.

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by bmd, Apr 5, 2014.

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  1. bmd

    bmd Member

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    Some Houston fans are concerned when you hear from people that the referees don't call as many fouls in the playoffs, and that could hurt a team like the Rockets who shoot a lot of free throws.

    Worry not, friends, as not only is this not true, but the fact is that the refs call MORE fouls during the playoffs.

    Is it because they are calling the games tighter? Or is it because the intensity is higher which leads to more fouls? Either way, foul-calling increased last year during the 2013 playoffs. Here are some stats I looked up for last year:


    Average number of fouls per game during the regular season: 19.84

    Average number of fouls per game during the playoffs: 22.19



    Top 5 highest-fouling teams in the playoffs:

    Clippers: 27.8
    Thunder: 24.9
    Hawks: 24.2
    Warriors: 23.8
    Knicks: 23.8


    Top 5 highest-fouling teams during the regular season:

    Raptors: 22.4
    Warriors: 21.4
    Jazz: 21.3
    Celtics: 21.2
    Cavs: 21.2


    So the 5 highest-fouling teams in the playoffs all fouled at higher rates than the highest-fouling team in the regular season.

    In fact, 9 teams in the playoffs had greater than or equal to the number of fouls as the highest-fouling regular season team.

    In the playoffs, they would be just ahead of the 10th highest-fouling team in the playoffs, the Miami Heat at 22.2 fouls per game.




    Now, one thing I'd like to note is maybe the refs do hold their whistles more in the playoffs. Maybe even though they are calling more fouls during the playoffs compared to the regular season, the intensity in the playoffs is so high that they could be calling even MORE fouls than they do during the playoffs.

    In other words, the Thunder in the playoffs committed 24.9 fouls per game, which is much more than the regular season's highest-fouling team. But if they played with that intensity during the regular season, the refs might have called, say, 27.0 fouls on them during the regular season.

    So that's a possibility. But the myth here is that the refs call less fouls during the playoffs. That's not true. They actually call MORE.
     
    #1 bmd, Apr 5, 2014
    1 person likes this.
  2. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    "Will the Rockets offense work in the playoffs, since the refs won't give us the calls they do in the regular season?"

    Will be posted in a day or two when this thread is off the first page.
     
    #2 WinkFan, Apr 5, 2014
  3. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    The issue isn't the number of fouls called in the playoffs vs. regular season.

    There isn't much doubt refs allow players to be more physical in the playoffs. As you would expect, teams adapt to it and take physicality to another level.

    There are glaring exceptions. Most of us remember "D-Whistle" in 2006.
     
    #3 A_3PO, Apr 5, 2014
  4. mr. 13 in 33

    mr. 13 in 33 Member

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    The refs are gonna let the players play as in when you attack the basket there's a 50/50 chance they won't call it.
     
    #4 mr. 13 in 33, Apr 5, 2014
  5. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    Its the type of fouls called. Its why there's a such thing as a "playoff foul".

    There's also a good number of close games in the playoffs which leads to more foul calls at ends of games.

    Refs just need to be consistent. If they're letting contact go, they need to ensure they do it for both sides. I think they ended up evening things out pretty significantly last night as the game went on.
     
    #5 Nick, Apr 5, 2014
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