Down by the extra point Kansas would have likely approached the game differently so there is no assurance that the changed scoring changed the outcome.

I'd love to have had a replay available several years ago when Arkansas State and Arkansas Little Rock were playing and a UALR player was fouled on a shot. The shot was rimming out and was tipped back in by another player. The official looked up just in time to see it fall through the net and counted the basket.

 Mark -- 4/08/2008 11:02 AM  

Mark's comment points out one of the main reasons replay should not be used as it was with the Rose shot. That is, after the shot was ruled a 3, play continued, and both teams made decisions based on the assumption that Rose had made a 3-pointer. Suppose Rose's shot had immediately preceded Chalmer's 3pter that sent the game to overtime. Should the refs have still reviewed Rose's shot, called it a 2, and ended the game in favor of Kansas? If not, why not?

Also, the value of replay in basketball is limited because unlike with football, in basketball any single play has only a very small impact on the game. The ref's missed call of Rose's shot represented an error of 1 point in a game where 143 points were scored. Hardly enough to justify stopping a game everytime there's a controversial shot.

 Dave -- 4/08/2008 4:33 PM  

The error was less than 1% of the points scored but 100% of the points needed to win in regulation.

Scoring errors (which this was) are correctable at the first dead ball. The request to correct can come from any of the game officials, table officials or coaches.

Here's the rub, and here's why replay is actually merited.

Back before looking at the TV monitor was permitted, the disagreement between officials over whether or not it was a three would have first involved the three game officials. They then could consult with the table officials AND play-by-play broadcasters.

In the scenario I described from a real game in the first comment it was treated as a scoring error. The referee went to play-by-play personnel and asked did the shot go in. The response was "Yeah but..." and the official cut them off without hearing the but.

Simple situation as I see it. If your choice is polling the three game officials, the six table officials (two scorers, two timers, one clock operator, one shot clock operator) and however many play-by-play people are present when all but three of them are limited to a court level seat, I'll take the replay.

 Mark -- 4/08/2008 5:27 PM  

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