The NBA is scrambling to deal with a point shaving scandal involving one of its referees. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big Ten think they have the answer: background checks for referees. Here’s how an article in the Baltimore Sun describes the ACC position:
For the second season, the ACC is requiring all of its approximately 225 officials for football and men’s and women’s basketball to allow the league to conduct a background check. Every official will be checked once every four years, and roughly 75 checks are conducted each year.
So far the checks have resulted in several referees being questioned about their activities. No referees have been removed from the ACC roster. That’s a good process: using the background checks to determine where to investigate further.
A criminal background check can tell you if a person has a criminal record. A credit report can give you an idea if lifestyle and reported income match up. But they’re only a starting point.
Most of the time you will probably want to do what the ACC does, use the reports as a starting point for questions. You should consider other things as well.
The combination of point-spread betting and the fact that a single player can make a huge difference in the score and outcome of a game make basketball a candidate for point-shaving scandals. One thing basketball leagues, college and pro need to do is look for ways to make this harder and to put systems in place to catch offenders earlier.
That won’t be easy. In the meantime the NBA and all the college conferences should follow the ACC and Big Ten. Require regular background checks for officials as a condition of employment.