By John Cairns (Photos by Chun Yin Wah)
YUNG SHUE WAN, Lamma Island, Hong Kong – Standards of play in the five-team Lamma Island Pinoy Basketball League (LIPBL) stay impressive, but the caliber of refereeing ranks higher. The men with whistles maintain on-court peace, allow the games to unfold smoothly and lend an air of authority to every decision along the way.
Each Sunday, two watchful referees with tweeting whistles, constant hand-signals and surprised-by-nothing calmness stave off potential chaos at the Yung Shue Wan basketball court. Whenever a player shakes his head, rolls his eyes or moans in disbelief, insisting that he didn't “travel” or couldn't have missed an easy shot without being fouled, the spectators should realize one thing – that without the referees to enforce the rules, turmoil would erupt then and there.
From a Hong Kong-based Filipino Basketball Association with about 12 members, the referees travel to Lamma on game-days and then officiate at two LIPBL games. The players run, leap, grunt and groan, mostly looking fit, but also substitute in-and-out at four-minute intervals. Like Energizer bunnies, the referees keep running for two entire games, more than four hours. No matter how fast the players go, the referees must match them.
So are referees the best-conditioned LIPBL participants? The suggestion made one referee smile. “We try to pace ourselves,” he said. “But we get tired too. Luckily, the player substitutions arrive quickly and sometimes may take a little longer than they should” (so that the referees can rest a little too).
Most “calls” are correct, but some players would argue every time. To avoid problems, the referees must make quick, consistent decisions and keep the games moving. To hesitate or show uncertainty invites arguments. Ideally, the rulings never turn overly contentious. Then the players and fans hardly notice the long-running lawmen, and that's ideal.
Paying the referees is the LIPBL's biggest expense, but the money always looks well-spent. It's a key investment that allows the league to succeed.
The latest LIPBL action leaves the formidable Gray Hawks perched alone in first place. They edged the determined Awesome Tigers (green uniforms) 83-80. At halftime, the score stood even, 47-47. Then the Tigers leaped ahead, but the Hawks, as they often do, took flight in the final moments.
Huggen D'ass (red) and the Lamma Lickers (yellow) battled fiercely before the red-team prevailed, 81-77. The final minute saw the score tied 77-77. Then two clutch free throws, a stolen ball and a layup made the difference.
Next week, the players and referees face extra challenges. The games on November 13, with the Archers versus the Lickers at 2 p.m. and Huggen D'ass meeting the Hawks at 4 p.m., have later-than-usual tip-off times to avoid conflicting with TV-coverage of Pinoy-boxing-hero Manny Pacquiao fighting Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas. After watching professional pugilism, will the hoopsters take to the court with extra aggression? Will the referees need to call fouls constantly?
Huggen D'ass and the Hawks look likely to make league history. As darkness falls, the second fight-day game surely must rely on night-lights, a first for the LIPBL.
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LIPBL Standings
Gray Hawks (gray) – 5 wins, 1 loss
Awesome Tigers (green) – 4 wins, 2 loses
Lamma Archers (blue) – 2 wins, 3 losses
Huggen D'ass (red) – 2 wins, 3 losses
Lamma Lickers (yellow) – 1 win, 5 losses
* A team protest casts doubt on one game, a Tigers' victory over the Archers. Allegedly, the Tigers used an ineligible player. So far, two meetings of the LIPBL organizing committee have failed to revolve the issue.
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