OT: WSJ Study says Short refs call more fouls

[PtldPlatypus]

http://online.wsj.com/articles/study-shorter-nba-refs-call-more-fouls-1415046039

Then they split NBA crews into three tiers: 6 feet and under, 6 feet to 6 feet 3 and 6 feet 3 and taller. What they found was that each additional inch per crew resulted in .017 fewer personal fouls per 48 minutes. That means the shortest crew, at 8 2/3 inches shorter than the tallest crew, calls .147 fouls more per game, or a 3.6% increase from the league average.

...

So what could possibly explain this discrepancy? The authors have two theories. The first is that referee vantage points differ by their heights. It’s possible that shorter referee crews are actually calling better games than their taller peers.

The other theory is more speculative—and more exciting to think about. They hypothesize it could have something to do with a so-called Napoleon complex in professional referees.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Re: OT: Short refs call more fouls

Fascinating. That, or the NBA assigns shorter refs to Harden's and K*be's games.

 

[riverman]

Re: OT: Short refs call more fouls

Napoleon complex

 

[blue9]

Totally Napoleon Complex!

 

[PDXFonz]

They got no reason.

 

[illmatic99]

Couple things. What's the distribution of ref heights? Are there as many guys over 6'3 as there are below 6'3?

Is there really as statistically significant difference between 4.13, 4.09, and 4.03?

Why is 6'3 the cutoff?

This reminds me of my stats term paper in college in which I questioned the use of +/- stats with low sample sizes. Much ado about nothing and full of holes.

 

[Boob-No-More]

Re: OT: Short refs call more fouls

Fascinating. That, or the NBA assigns shorter refs to Harden's and K*be's games.

Based on the number of times Harden has been getting to the line this season, I suspect Verne Troyer has been lead official for most of Houston's games.

BNM

 

[PDXFonz]

Re: OT: Short refs call more fouls

Based on the number of times Harden has been getting to the line this season, I suspect Verne Troyer has been lead official for most of Houston's games.

BNM

Hahaha!

 

[riverman]

So then shorter teams will benefit from shorter refs? Players like Spud Webb, Nate Robinson, Mugsy Bogues would get all the favorable calls?

 

[BBert]

Short refs have a better view of what's going on 'down low'.

 

[jlprk]

Viola Palmer skews the average.

 

[dviss1]

Short refs have a better view of what's going on 'down low'.

This is true. I myself am 5'9". We simply have a better view.

 

[BBert]

This is true. I myself am 5'9". We simply have a better view.

I'm guessing shorter refs are also better, making fewer erroneous calls.

Amiright?

 

[dviss1]

I'm guessing shorter refs are also better, making fewer erroneous calls.

Amiright?

Oh.. well I don't know about that. I just think we have a better view. And because of that we can see more. I think I have a better view of Handchecks, traveling, and that annoying (and scandalous) poke in the stomach that happens to shooters.

 

[riverman]

Shorter refs have shorter legs and call more fouls so they can catch their breath from chasing 7 ft players around a court

 

[Boob-No-More]

And for their next study, I want the Wall Street Journal to determine the correlation between facial hair and free throw attempts.

BNM

 

[riverman]

And for their next study, I want the Wall Street Journal to determine the correlation between facial hair and free throw attempts.

BNM

Schilly probably has a stat for that

 

[oldmangrouch]

In summation: the fate of the NBA is in the hands of the guys who got picked last during recess games.

I don't know if it is a "Napoleon complex" - but the NBA leads all sports in refs with bad attitudes.