Referee Bias Study

[drkalloch]

Just reported in the Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/23/sports/AP-BKC-Referee-Bias.html

I haven't found the actual study online yet, but I am inclined to believe its conclusion. Gives a whole new meanign to the function in video games where you can "keep scores close." Apparently, refs do that for us.

[guava_wrench]

Just reported in the Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/23/sports/AP-BKC-Referee-Bias.html

I haven't found the actual study online yet, but I am inclined to believe its conclusion. Gives a whole new meanign to the function in video games where you can "keep scores close." Apparently, refs do that for us.

The interesting point here is that there is not need to silly conspiracy theories. It is likely impossible to remove the bias from referees toward expecting parity.

Brilliant quote:

''We'd like them to have no memory and strictly call what's going on on the court,'' Anderson said. ''But part of this is, if I'm a ref, I want everyone to think I'm fair and if I call 10 fouls on one team and two on the other, people are going to think something's going on here. It's sort of subconscious. And it points out one of the biggest problems with basketball is that it's a very hard game to officiate.''

[Brickowski]

The professors only looked at college games, but I'm sure this goes on in the NBA as well.  Only in the NBA it's worse, because the stars also get more preferential treatment than college stars.

[Neurotic Guy]

[quote author=guava_wrench
The interesting point here is that there is not need to silly conspiracy theories. It is likely impossible to remove the bias from referees toward expecting parity.

[/quote]

Thanks for bringing this up.  In every single game thread ever on this blog some folks (often the same ones) insinuate or directly accuse the NBA, David Stern and the refs of conspiracy -- usually either in favor of particular star players or against the Celtics.   I have always thought the conspiracy theories to be bunk and continue to think so.
 
That doesn't mean that referees might be 1) bad at what they do  2)dealing with the reality that basketball is a difficult game to call especially when many players have taken acting to an art form, and 3) prone to human flaws like subconsciously wanting to be perceived as fair. All of these suggest fairness problems, but none suggest conspiracy.  And until I hear that anyone other than Donaghy was corrupt I'll choose to believe that he was a rogue ref and not the norm.

The article makes sense though it leaves me wondering if there might be ways to weed out which referees are more and which are less prone to subconscious biases.

[SamuelAdams]

Kinda like reporting the sun always come up after it is really dark outside...

It is what it is.  I like it when the refs call more fouls on us in the first half a game.  That almost guarantees we will get the benefit of a few calls in the second half.

I remember when it was only 2 refs. Was it better then?

[BigBaby]

We've been lucky the refs kept us in a couple games when we were sucking. We've already stolen a couple games that we got outplayed in.

[fairweatherfan]

The interesting point here is that there is not need to silly conspiracy theories. It is likely impossible to remove the bias from referees toward expecting parity.

Brilliant quote:

''We'd like them to have no memory and strictly call what's going on on the court,'' Anderson said. ''But part of this is, if I'm a ref, I want everyone to think I'm fair and if I call 10 fouls on one team and two on the other, people are going to think something's going on here. It's sort of subconscious. And it points out one of the biggest problems with basketball is that it's a very hard game to officiate.''

Yup, this is the money quote.  How many times have you heard someone just cite the number of fouls called or free throws attempted for each team, and just consider that figure evidence of bias on its own?  Refs know that people think a 22-8 FT disparity means something shady is going on, so they tend to even out their calls even if one team really is fouling more than another.  Ironically it's a bias toward trying to be seen as fair even if actual fouling is not equal.

[Brickowski]

The problem is, in the NBA it's almost impossible to determine if it's a conspiracy or sheer incompetence.

It has to be one or the other.

[BASS_THUMPER]

cant blame refs...hit open jumpers u win games..make lay ups u win games..hit ya free throws u win games...get rebounds u.....etc

[hpantazo]

The problem is, in the NBA it's almost impossible to determine if it's a conspiracy or sheer incompetence.

It has to be one or the other.

the problem with the NBA is that both incompetence and conspiracy run far too high to get a baseline reading of what is "fair"