It probably isn't a surprise that I spend a lot of time watching basketball, especially this time of year, with 3 PeeWee teams, a junior high team, and a men's church team. And more often than not, I am cheering for the tallest person on the team. (Shocker huh?) I also end up "discussing" or rehashing said games for a fair amount of time. I am use to seeing the tall person be fouled with no call, and calls made against the tall person that really should have been the other way. I'm usually pretty good about not yelling at refs, and we have taught our kids not to argue calls - "some calls will go your way, some won't - just play the best ball you can" has always been our motto. And I have rarely, if ever seen Kevin argue a call either as a player or a coach (although I can usually tell when he doesn't agree with the call). But repeatedly over the years, I often hear other fans at peewee to pro games yelling "Over the back!!" There have been a ref or two who actually make this call as a foul - usually volunteers with little or no training. And it is regularly called in church ball - against Kevin. At least once a game. He has come to expect it, although I wouldn't say he accepts it. I'm not sure I've ever seen him as upset as when he fouled out of a game because he was called on "over the back" 3 or 4 times. Again, he didn't really argue the calls with the ref at the time (he has approached refs after games), but I certainly heard about it.
Here's the thing. "Over the back" is NOT a foul. There has to be actual contact between players for there to be a foul - so if a person is able to grab a rebound or pass over the top of another player without touching the other player - it is not a foul. Now if, as the tall player is reaching for the ball, they lean into and "push" the player if front of them, than yes that is a foul. Or if the player in front backs into the tall player in attempting to get the ball - that is a foul as well - but not on the player in back - on the player in front that moved. If you want/need more information on "over the back" check out this article.
I will readily admit that being tall does give you an advantage in basketball - that is the nature of the game. When Kevin has discussed this call with refs, he has actually been told "you are so tall - we just have to even things out a little." Really? Part of the job of a ref is to even the playing field? Since when? And, come on, the advantage in basketball is one of the few advantages there are to being extremely tall. Sure, he can change a light bulb without a stool, paint ceilings easily, and reach the top shelf in the grocery store.
But being tall has a lot of disadvantages - clothes are more expensive and hard to find and rarely go on sale, your legs don't fit in a lot of places - airplanes, theaters, buses, school desks, etc. You hit your head getting into or out of a lot of things, or even just going down stairs (ask Lyndsey) or, in Kevin's case, just walking through doorways. There are a lot of places that you can't quite stand up straight (we actually had a Realtor show us houses that Kevin wouldn't have been able to go downstairs in.) There are a lot of amusement park rides that you can't ride because your legs are too long. There are far more cars that you can't fit in than you can. (Kevin actually got stuck in one when a salesman insisted that it "had more leg room than you think" and once Kevin folded himself into the drivers' seat, shut to door - wedging Kevin's knee between the steering wheel and the door. The door handle and lock were located just right that Kevin's knee triggered the door locks.) Unlike any other kind of physical attribute, it seems to be ok to walk up to tall people and say "so how tall are you?" Most people would never walk up to a really short person and say "so how short are you?" or even an extremely overweight person and say "I just have to ask - how much do you actually weigh?" We get stopped almost every time we go out, and if we aren't stopped, there is a lot of pointing and double takes and obvious talking about it. And this is mostly what we have dealt with with Kevin - now that we have 6'2" daughters there is a whole new set of things to deal with - being taller than all the boys (as parents we don't really mind this one although I understand how awkward it must be to have to dance with boys that are shorter) and never finding dresses/skirts/pants that are long enough are just a couple. The list of disadvantages and awkward moments go on and on. And usually we don't mind. It is just the way our life is. Most of the time we just laugh.
So just let them enjoy the advantage being tall gives them in basketball. It is one thing to be called for fouls that you may or may not have committed in the heat of the game. But it is totally different to be called on a foul that isn't even a foul in any set of official rules, just because you are taller than the other players. And those of you who are just spectators - maybe think twice before yelling "over the back!" at a basketball game.
(There I feel better. Not that anyone who actually needs to see this post will read it, but maybe there will be one less fan that I roll my eyes at while sitting in the stands routing for my tall player. Although most of you will be routing for the same tall player so I wouldn't roll my eyes at you anyway.)
