Time-Series Analysis of Foul Calling Patterns in Close Fourth Quarters of Basketball Games

The foul-calling patterns during close fourth quarters of basketball games are investigated in this paper. Time-domain and frequency-domain aspects of foul calls are highlighted by the Fourier transform applied to 121 games with fourth-quarter point differentials of 10 points or less during the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) 2022-2023 season. Based on the findings, according to the findings, during the first ten minutes the referee's calls varied considerably, thus attempting to balance the foul gap between teams. The last two minutes witnessed the foul calls stabilized. These findings underline the need of officiating time and have consequences for understanding referees' discretionary behavior in particular fields. This paper provides specifics regarding referee training and team preparation.