Officials are critical elements that can significantly influence any game. They are the mediators of any sport. However, as sports have evolved, so have the ways of officials. Consistent and equal calls keep the game running smoothly; inconsistent calls can lead to frustration and an altered game. Officials can affect the game positively or negatively. Do complaints, rules, and even the new era play a role in officiating?
Complaints
For example, officials have faced negative backlash, especially in the NBA. The NBA is one of the most successful sports leagues globally and is recognized worldwide, as every aspiring basketball player dreams. Complaints regarding officiating will remain inevitable in every era of every fan base. The unhappiness and frustration with players, coaches, and fans spark when “neutrality” is overthrown. Not to say that these professional officials don’t make the right calls because they do most of the time, but they fail to uphold their “professional” status when obvious calls are missed.
Offensive Rules
Bias happens subtly due to feedback that creates easy or hard resistance paths. At some point long ago, the league was arguably “biased” with the Los Angeles Lakers. So, let’s paint a picture with Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal. Hypothetically, there is a 50/50 call between O’Neal and another center. Everyone knows Shaq, and because of that, everyone perceives O’Neal as a star-dominant player. In all honesty, nobody else cares or knows who the opposing center is. In true NBA fashion, there is a process if you call a 50/50 foul on Shaq. The call would be replayed, leaving the commentators to question and do their job. The crowd would explode with noise and maybe even holler. Now, if the roles were reversed, and the foul was called on the opposing center, Shaq would go to the line and shoot his free throws. Looking at these conditions, the questioning one would get for making or not making the call would be defined as “correct” and “incorrect,” the environment and then your decision-making abilities being affected. This “star power” system is a bit vintage, but it is very evident in today’s era of basketball. Another form of biased behavior is towards offensive players, which is a bit tame compared to past forms of bias, but it feels as if you blow your whistle on the defense, you’re never wrong.
New Era
Technology has evolved just as much as the game of basketball, and it has become such a key advancement even in the sport. Throughout every growth milestone within basketball, essentially the skill and IQ level, technology has had the same growth. Beyond all the fitness tests and numbers that can be recorded due to how advanced technology has become, replays from every angle have contributed to crucial game calls. However, even after reviewing plays from various angles, they make highly questionable calls. The controversy remains highly evident as good and bad calls and good and bad refs play on a seesaw. 
How far is too far for these officials to cross the line and completely change the game, regardless of the sport? Could too many freedoms and powers be given to professional officials? This is highly arguable, but a few key components, such as era, complaints, and rules, all contribute to officials’ behavior.
