Former NBA official Joey Crawford supports the implementation of challenge systems.
INDIANAPOLIS — Joey Crawford, a notably divisive NBA referee throughout his extensive career in the league, expressed that the newly implemented challenge systems across various sports are beneficial as they ensure officials are held accountable.
This season, Major League Baseball launched its Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System. Batters, pitchers, and catchers can contest calls during the game using an automated tracking system that was established this season. Each team is allowed two incorrect calls before they deplete their challenges. The NBA has had a coach’s challenge system since 2019, the NHL since 2015, and the NFL since 1999.
“You’re compensated to make the correct calls. You’re compensated to get them right,” stated Crawford, who continues to work with the NBA to assist officials. “We train referees, and they are exceptionally skilled. They will make errors. They are individuals who miss a jump shot. A coach may call a timeout that shouldn’t have been called. It’s all part of the game. We need to be vigilant. At the end of the game, the key is not to blow that whistle and make assumptions. You must be certain that it occurred. Don’t presume that it happened.”
Crawford, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, mentioned that on days when he missed a significant call, he would dwell on it.
“I appreciate [the challenges]. Initially, I didn’t, but now I truly value it because you must recognize that if you mishandle a play at the end of the game, you’re returning to the hotel, dreading it,” he remarked. “I experienced many of those nights.”
During his tenure as an NBA referee from 1977 to 2016, he was one of the most recognizable and contentious officials in the sport. Although he often appeared unfazed by these perceptions, they did affect him privately, he acknowledged.
“I would be dishonest if I claimed it didn’t bother [me]. It did bother me. Yes, it did. But that’s part of the job,” he explained. “When you step onto the court, half will appreciate you, and half will dislike you, and you must approach that specific game, make the calls, perform to the best of your ability, and maintain your fitness. My father said, ‘These individuals know when you put in the effort, and they’ll overlook things if you’re working hard.’
However, Crawford noted that not all criticisms directed at him were justified. He believed he was unfairly judged for how he managed “superstars.”
“Refs see jerseys [not players]. They see jerseys,” he stated. “Then they say, ‘Well, you made that error. You didn’t call that travel, you didn’t do this.’ And I would respond, ‘Who had the ball?’ And they would say, ‘Well, Michael Jordan had the ball, that’s why he did it.’ I would say, ‘Who has the ball at the end of the game? Who?’ And they would reply, ‘Michael Jordan.’
“That’s true for every team. The top player has the ball at the end of the game, so if you’re going to make an error, it’s typically on that top player. And that’s where I believe the superstar narrative originated.”
