The hostility between players and referees this season is unlike anything that we’ve seen in recent times. Probably the last time we saw this much fights and conflicts was around ten years ago. Since then, former commissioner David Stern implemented new, more harsh rules to avoid as much trouble as possible. But players and officials cannot seem to keep themselves out of headlines this season.

A person familiar with the league’s referee operations said there are some new faces around, which could be a reason for all the heat from players lately, via Bleacher Report’s Ken Berger.

“There’s been a big turnover in officiating. Some strict people along with some negotiators are all gone. Now you have a group of crew chiefs doing the best they can in a tough situation, and you have a young core of officials coming up.”

Berger notes how Danny Crawford retired last season, and Monty McCutchen was hired off the floor to work as vice president of referee development and training. McCutchen was widely perceived as one of the best officials in the league. The source continued:

“The league is trying. They hired Monty. It’s hard to hire your best referee off the floor. He was the best as far as verbalizing on the court, being able to get people to calm down. Hopefully, he’ll be able to do that with the staff and give them some tips that worked for him that can actually work for them.”

The new crop of referees face a hard situation, as they are still finding a balance between allowing enough conversation with players and keeping order on the court. A league official told Breacher Report:

“Communication is the key, especially with the lesser experienced guys. It’s hard with (players) coming after (referees) night after night and they don’t have the credibility of a crew chief. Those guys have to walk a fine line between being a rookie and taking a little heat and not getting punked, because everybody’s watching.”

The referees and players will hold a private meeting during All-Star weekend to clear the air and hear both sides.