By Peter Haynes

AN ARTICLE appeared in Tuesday’s Chronicle which attributed certain comments by the president of the Guyana Amatreur Basketball Federation, Nigel Hinds … “GABF National Club Championships final to be replayed”.At the outset, it must be stated that Mr Hinds, possibly in the interest of making everyone happy – clubs, players and fans – made a statement which he should not have made and more so, which cannot be implemented.
The rules of FIBA are very clear and are not open for individual interpretations while attempting to make everyone happy.
Sad to say, it seems that all either are not aware of the FIBA Rules or are determined to please concerned parties.
For guidance sake, the FIBA Central Board on February 2, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain approved the rules, which were published in May of the same year and are valid as of October 2014. No changes or amendments have been made as of October 2014.
Direct reference is made to Article 20.
20.1 – A team shall lose the game by forfeit if:
1. The team is not present or is unable to field 5 players ready to play 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the game.
2. Its actions prevent the game from being played.
3. It refuses to play after being instructed to do so by the referee.
4. 20 2.1 – Penalty
The game is awarded to the opponents and the score shall be 20-0. Furthermore, the forfeiting team shall receive 0 points in the classification.
5. 20 2.2 – For a two-game (home and away) total points series (aggregate score) and for plays (best of Three), the team that forfeits in the first, second or third games shall lose the series or play-offs by forfeit. This does not apply for play-offs (best of five).
6. 20 2.3 If in a tournament a team forfeits for the second time, the team shall be disqualified from the tournament and the results of all games played by this team shall be nullified.
As a matter of interest, FIBA also states in Articles 33-39, their definitions of fouls.
It must be noted that a referee’s decision cannot be reviewed and more so reversed, except in the last two minutes of a game. A review could be made in the case of the ball or player being out of bounds or if a player’s foot is on the line or not for a determination of a two- or three-point shot. Referees’ calls for travelling, double-dribble are not reversible as is reported to have been made by Mr Hinds. The referee was correct to issue “technical” fouls for the reported behaviour by the players.
What seems clear is that, whichever angle it is being viewed – top to bottom or bottom to top – education of the rules governing basketball should be read and understood. Dribbling, passing, shooting and rebounding are just a part of the rules of Basketball.
This is no suggestion that the players, coaches and officials have not read the rules, but they must be applied as stated. There is no room for compromise or emotions when the application is required.
Therefore, when a team feels wronged, there are stated procedures in FIBA’s Rules for that to be addressed. A team feeling wronged must so indicate at the end of the game when the captain is signing the score sheet. Either the captain or the coach or any other official of the team must lodge their official protest in writing within twenty (20) minutes of the end of the game. They are also required to lodge a fee for the protest to be heard.
As a reminder of the consequences the Guyana National team faced at the 2014 Caribbean championships, when some players felt that the application of FIBA’s rules relating to the composition of the team with the inclusion of overseas based players was unfair.
Be reminded or for information, Guyana could have been suspended and fined US$25 000 when they were refusing to take the court. This may not be widely known at home, but it happened in Tortola.
Fortunately, having heard the consequences the team took the court, for what was the opening game of the championships when FIBA the Americas and BVI Government officials were present.
Having said that, of which Mr Hinds is fully aware, the decision to replay the final is a non-starter and the team forfeited the game for walking off and refusing to return when instructed to do so by the referee.
And also Mr Hinds, although you are the president, you have no authority to reverse the referee’s decision. It may have been a bad call, but it remains that – a bad call.