PBA will suspend referee Rey Yante for his goaltending call on Talk ‘N Text-Alaska Game

Another goaltending issue, another controversy.

The PBA will reportedly suspend referee Rey Yante for his goaltending call on Talk ‘N Text forward Kelly Williams late in the Tropang Texters’ 94-92 loss to the Alaska Aces.

Virgil Villavicencio, the head of the media bureau of PBA teams under the MVP Group of Companies which includes Talk ‘N Text and Meralco, told InterAKTV that they have been informed by the PBA about the suspension.

(InterAKTV is part of InterAksyon.com, the news site of TV5, which is also part of the MVP Group.)

“We were told that Referee Yante was suspended for six playdates,” said Villavicencio.

The PBA did not answer inquiries by InterAKTV asking for confirmation of the suspension.

It was the second game in the past week involving a goaltending issue late in the game. During the San Mig Coffee-Barako Bull match last Sunday, controversy arose after a late swipe by Rafi Reavis on the potential game-winning shot by Enrico Villanueva. Despite complaints from the Barako Bull side, the PBA affirmed that the play was legal and was not goaltending.

In Williams’ case, the former MVP was called for a goaltending on a layup by Cyrus Baguio. But television replays showed that the ball was still on an upward motion toward the backboard before Williams made contact with it.

Last month, the league suspended another referee, Jun Marabe, for an erroneous foul call during a Ginebra-Rain or Shine match.
-InterAKTV