Narvasa overrules UE protest vs FEU

UAAP commissioner Chito Narvasa yesterday turned down the protest filed by University of the East contesting a no-call in the last 3.03 minutes of its 69-71 setback to Far Eastern U Saturday at the Philsports Arena.

In a seven-page decision obtained by The STAR, Narvasa said the bone of the Warriors’ contention, a supposedly 24-second clock violation that the latter deemed should have nullified Tams’ Marlon Adolfo’s putback, was not a technical error but a judgment call.

Although Narvasa admitted the table officials’ decision stopping the clock to coordinate with the referees if Adolfo’s shot should be counted was a “technical error,” the referees’ decision was a judgment call.

“All calls are technical in nature but automatically become a judgment call when the referees decide to call or not call the violation,” said Narvasa in the letter. “The technical error, which is the subject of your protest, automatically become a judgment call when the referees decided on it.”

“Assuming that this call could have given an advantage to one team but considering the time that this had occurred, this could not have altered the outcome of the game.

“Therefore, this office finds your protest with no basis and merit. It is ruled that the result of the game between FEU-UE played last July 26 remain as is and recorded as official,” Narvasa said.

UE board representative Bren Perez said they were already informed of the decision and had immediately sent a letter of appeal to league president State U chancellor Sergio Cao.

“We’ve already wrote the president (Cao) of our appeal,” said Perez.

UAAP secretary-treasurer Herc Callanta said the board is expected to tackle the appeal the soonest possible time.

Narvasa said they based the decision on the dictum by FIBA, or the International Basketball Federation, that judgment calls are not subject to protest thus making all referee’s calls final.

Narvasa said ordering a game replay “would result to the demoralization of the teams which won their games on the basketball court, a protracted basketball tournament due to rescheduling of replayed games, and worse, a general breakdown of the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie where their basic essence is letting the best team win on the court,” he said.