by Timmy Duncan

Created on: May 30, 2010

In light of the recent admissions from disgraced NBA referee, Tim Donaghy, NBA officials have come under a great deal of scrutiny as of late. Each questionable call suddenly means something more than it did before.

Each 50/50, coin flip foul is analyzed to death via slow motion camera footage and expert analysis and NBA refs face intense judgment for every decision and foul call that is deemed suspicious by sports analysts, players and coaches, all of whom have their own personal interest in the outcome.

Simply put, being an NBA referee is no easy task. Not only are you subjected to the constant accusations that you are part of some vast conspiracy theory if you make the mistake of blowing your whistle on the wrong players, but it is also a physically taxing job with a ton of pressure and a lot riding on your ability to perform your duties at a high level.

While players are allowed to come in and out of the game and rest when they become fatigued, officials must be present on the court for the entire forty eight minute period, regardless of how tired they become.

They must run back and forth, up and down the court in order to give themselves the best point of view to call the game correctly. In order to accomplish this, referees must be in excellent physical shape.

They must be able to physically match the pace of world class althetic talent for forty eight minutes - no easy feat, particular at the age of some of the current officials in the NBA.

The major challenge to being a referee in the NBA is that you are human, and as such are bound to make a mistake every now and then. We all make mistakes and NBA officials are no exception.

The difference between NBA officials and the rest of the working world is that when we make mistakes, the general public does not accuse us of being a part of some vast conspiracy against one particular player or organization.

In short, NBA officials must be in top notch physical condition - at least good enough to match the pace of the average NBA player. They must have a thick skin and the guts to make tough decisions in a split second, often without the benefit of instant replay that viewers at home and analysts have at their disposal.

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