A big step forward towards improving officiating at New England basketball games was taken at the meeting of athletic directors and coaches of New England schools at the Harvard Club. It was decided that tentative lists of officials should be made out and that from these lists a certain number of referees who are to handle all university games would be selected.
Practically all the coaches at the meeting voiced their disapproval of the present method of officiating and urged some change. Coach E. A. Wachter, University mentor, stated that the referees were not uniform in their rulings and that many were over-technical. Only Oswald Tower, of Andover, head of the joint rules committee, defended the referees saying that a great deal of the strictness in a game depended on the playing and not so much on the officiating.
A committee, which is to take charge of receiving the lists and select a certain number of officials was then appointed. H. W. Clark '23, who called the meeting, was appointed chairman of the committee with C. P. Houston, Athletic Director at Tufts, and H. M. Gore, who holds a similar position at M. A. C., being the other two members.
Is is hoped that a list of official can thus be decided upon and that these officials will have enough refereeing to do so that all their officiating will be confined to college game alone.
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