Is there more dissatisfaction with refereeing this season than in the past? Despite the lack of objective indicators, the feeling is shared in arenas and press conferences. The Christmas matches particularly crystallized certain tensions, to the point of putting refereeing back at the center of French basketball debates.
Before the break, Sylvain Lautié didn’t hide his frustration after Nancy‘s loss in Chalon-sur-Saône, in the columns of L’Est Républicain. « We lost too many balls, we didn’t spread the elbows enough. We knew it would be a trench battle. But I’ve rarely seen, on ball advances, so many grabs. We got demolished all game. Let’s call a spade a spade. There was a lot of tolerance in what I saw tonight. »
At the same time, after Dijon’s loss in Boulazac on December 26, Antoine Eïto (1.88m, 37 years old) also spoke out, in a context marked by the ejection of his opponent David Holston. « I think that today there’s an incredible communication problem between certain entities and refereeing. […] I don’t think the referees aren’t working, quite the contrary, but it needs to be resolved, because it’s every weekend and it’s problematic. »
🗣️ « They forbid me to speak, so I don’t speak anymore! »
🤐 Frédéric Fauthoux after Bourg’s 0-10 – Strasbourg (via @GhislainGros)
💢 https://t.co/kvkLP3w2Oc
pic.twitter.com/TO2fbmhY8y
— BeBasket (@Be_BasketFr) January 10, 2026
In early 2026, an internal letter signed by Thomas Bissuel confirmed that the tension wasn’t just an external feeling. « Despite our efforts, the relationship with stakeholders has generally deteriorated over the course of games. […] It’s your lucidity, your discernment and your empathy that people need. It’s YOU that the championship needs. »
Pre-game meetings are now suspended, although informal exchanges with players and coaches remain possible. A strong signal of a climate considered more tense than before.
Off the record, several referees and officials mention structural factors rather than a sudden decline in quality. Games are longer, more choppy, particularly with the addition of video review, increasing physical intensity and stricter enforcement of certain rules. Where a game once lasted less than two hours, exceeding 2h15 is no longer exceptional.
And while coaches deplore it, they’re also the first to request video review, or to demand that tactical fouls to stop fast breaks be whistled, which brings teams into the penalty more quickly, and therefore more free throws.
Furthermore, players adapt to rule changes. There are indeed more and more fouls on 3-point shots… on fast breaks, because players sense tactical fouls coming at midcourt. Another example of video reviews generated more frequently.
Basketball remains a human activity, based on error. Cycles of acceptance and contestation of refereeing have always existed. The central question is therefore less one of « bad refereeing » than one of perception and communication around decisions.
Contrary to popular belief, French refereeing has become highly professionalized. Physical and mental preparation, watching and re-watching games, evaluations at each match, variable assignments based on performance: everything is analyzed. The best referees are more frequently assigned to big games, playoffs, the Leaders Cup or the All-Star Game, with a direct impact on their compensation. Conversely, proven errors can lead to temporary suspensions.
Under the leadership of Eddie Viator, national director of refereeing since 2021, and Pierre-Yves Bichon, president of the High Level Officials (HNO), introspection is strong within the community. Additionally, the National Union of Basketball Referees (SNAB) now represents virtually the entire profession.
Where the shoe pinches, according to many stakeholders, is on education and communication. Players and coaches can express themselves in the heat of the moment at press conferences. Referees, on the other hand, are subject to a strict duty of discretion. Impossible for them to explain a decision, let alone publicly acknowledge an error, for fear of opening Pandora’s box.
In the NBA, certain post-game communications have helped humanize refereeing. This Tuesday again, the major league didn’t hesitate to side with Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics coach who complained about an illegal screen not whistled on the decisive play by the Indiana Pacers the day before. Conversely, the NBA doesn’t hesitate to financially sanction players for their criticism of refereeing, as was the case with Jaylen Brown, the star of those same Celtics, for his statements after the loss in the previous game against the Spurs.
In Europe, this culture remains embryonic. Many advocate for structured discussion forums, roundtables or educational formats to better understand the constraints and reality of the profession.
At the next steering committee of the National Basketball League, refereeing will be among the topics discussed. Without promising a revolution, the objective is to calm an atmosphere that has become inflammatory, in an ecosystem where pressure is extreme for everyone: players, coaches… and referees.
Because ultimately, the question remains: are we witnessing a real refereeing crisis, or simply greater exposure of a profession that has long remained in the shadows?
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