PBA to set new guidelines

THE PBA has decided to draft guidelines for the adjustments of penalties and overruling of referees’ calls during and after games to avoid controversial decisions, as in the case of Purefoods star James Yap.

The Board of Governors after a meeting yesterday said Commissioner Renauld "Sonny" Barrios will draft the guidelines, expected to be more definitive in addressing situations such as the Yap-Joseph Yeo incident last week.

Yap was called for a flagrant foul-one when he stiff-armed Sta. Lucia’s Yeo in the dying seconds of Game 3, which Purefoods won 118-107.

PBA officials, after a review of the game tapes, elevated it to flagrant foul-penalty two, which comes with a P20,000 fine and a one-game suspension. Yap, the 2006 MVP, served out the suspension Game 5 last Sunday, which Sta. Lucia won 88-76.

"The commissioner will come up with the recommendation as far as upgrading and downgrading of the referee’s ‘judgment call’," Purefoods representative to the board Rene Pardo said.

Pardo resigned as chairman of the board’s Ethics Committee in protest of Barrios’ decision on the case and he raised this issue during yesterday’s board meeting. Eight board members attended the meeting.

"As commissioner he has the prerogative to review, but there was no clear-cut policy in upgrading and downgrading. Ang mahirap n’yan kasi lahat na lang ng reklamo dadalhin sa kanya," Pardo said.

Yap returned from suspension to score 30 points and lift Purefoods to an 89-81 Game 6 victory that tied the best-of-seven series at 3-3.

Game 7 is set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Barrios cited two instances where former PBA commissioner Noli Eala reversed a referee’s call–one on Mar. 31, 2004 when the referees failed to call a foul on former Ginebra guard Rodney Santos in a game against Shell. Eala summoned Santos and the decision was upgraded to FF1. The other was on Mar. 13 last year when Ricky Calimag, who was then with Sta. Lucia, was assessed with an FF2 and was ejected in a game against Welcoat Paints. The decision was downgraded to FF1.