No Way! – Basketball refs refuse to officiate in disputed replay
BASKETBALL referees in western Jamaica have defied an order from the technical committee of the Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association (JABBA) to replay a first round Flow National Basketball League-West game between Granville Jaguars and Catherine Hall All-stars.
Reports are that the technical committee has ruled that the March 6th game that was ruled a forfeit after Jaguars refused to take the court in a timely manner be replayed.
However, the western referees have reportedly refused on a matter of principle to comply with JABBA and officiate in the replay.
Deon Williams, co-ordinator of the Flow NBL-West and a referee told the Observer West this week the officials are adamant that they will not officiate.
Williams along with Suzette Virgo and Maurice Rodriques had decided to call off the originally scheduled game after Granville Jaguars reportedly refused to continue against Catherine Hall All-stars. That game was then ruled a forfeit.
Rain had interrupted play with a minute to go in the first quarter with Catherine Hall leading 13-7. But when the officials signalled for resumption the Granville coach Dwight Clare allegedly refused to allow his team to continue.
Williams told the Observer West that according to Article 20 subsection 1 of the rules of the competition any team that refuses to continue after being instructed to do so by the officials would lose the game.
He said that two attempts were made to restart the game and two Granville players had obeyed the instructions of the officials but were instructed not to play by Clare.
It was heard that the Granville coach had concerns about the condition of the court after one of his players Ryan Harrison had being injured the previous night in a win against Railways Tigers.
The third round of the competition is set to get underway this weekend with four games, two on Saturday and two on Sunday at the Montego Bay Cricket Club.
On Saturday, Hoopers will take on Railway Tigers at 6:00pm followed by All-Stars vs Jaguars.
On Sunday, Jaguars and Tigers will meet followed by Inner-city Avalanche and Hoopers.
