Yes, I fully agree with your characterization of my position of NFL overtime. No, I do not see the parallel you are trying to draw with my suggestions here about basketball.
I draw a parallel with the 10-second runoff, which I fully support in the NFL. It has nothing to do with overtime, and everything to do with closing a loophole that made breaking the rules advantageous. Breaking the rules (fouling) should never be advantageous. That’s why, for example, pass interference is a spot foul.
And I don’t recognize foul shots as defense, btw. Defense against what, the other team breaking the rules?
Nothing to add to this discussion, except that I mis-read the thread title as “Fouls in Baseball should be decline-able,” and then read the OP 4 times trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about.
The idea does make more sense with regard to “Basketball.”
The team getting sent to the free throw line has to play defense to prevent the team that’s trailing from scoring to tie or take the lead, do they not? If they don’t play defense, the trailing team can hit some 3 pointers and claw their way back into the game. You would eliminate that in favor of speeding up the end of the game.
Again, it’s not a loophole. It’s a way for the team that’s losing to preserve some clock. In that regard, having fouls to give at the end of the game is no different than preserving timeouts. And there’s no guarantee that the losing team will necessarily execute the foul perfectly. I’ve seen games where the defense absolutely had to foul and the offense avoided it with crafty ball movement.
You’re also making the mistake of looking at basketball fouls the way you look at football penalties. Most penalties in football result from mistakes, whether it’s jumping offsides, hitting a WR before the ball arrives, or not lining up with enough men on the line of scrimmage. Fouls in basketball are an inevitable part of a game where players are swiping at a ball to knock it away, setting picks, or otherwise trying to make legitimate basketball plays. Since they’re inevitable, all you can do is tailor the rules to force the players to play with some level of care (i.e. at a level above streetball) while not penalizing them too harshly.
Unless, I am misunderstanding something about the rules. Which, is really possible. Most of the time these end of the game fouls lead to foul shots. Foul shots are a huge part of the game. If a team is unable to make them they don’t deserve the win.
I think the pressure filled minutes of a guy at the foul line are tense and exciting. In a fast moving run run game it is an exciting change of pace to watch the guy take his practice bounces and then put the shot up. If he makes it the game is one step more out of the other team’s reach. He misses it and excitement ensues.
Now,as to the fact that a team can use breaking the rules to their advantage. I guess I don’t mind it. Especially since it is possible it will blow up in their face. I agree that other games don’t have it as a major part of their strategy, but it does exist here or there. Pass Interference can be gamed in a similar way in football. Albeit, in much fewer circumstances. And, it’s not something you see very often. But, hey, you get a pass interference in the endzone with time running out you save the touchdown and force the opposing team to get a touchdown at the 1. (As an Eagles fan I don’t see that as a gimme. So, that might color my perception of a situation like that.)
I just don’t see it as that big of a deal. I don’t mind rule breaking being able to be used advantageously, especially when there is a risk involved. And, I don’t especially think that it takes a significant amount of fun away from watching the game in the waning seconds.
