A method and apparatus for controlling one or more aspects of reverse link communications is based on determining reverse link load softness. Such control may be implemented in the network, such as in a base station controller. Control may be sector based, wherein the softness is determined on a per sector basis and one or more aspects of the reverse link communications are adjusted, or otherwise controlled, for each sector as a function of the softness determined for the sector. In at least one embodiment, a base station controller (or equivalently, a radio network controller) is configured to evaluate the softness of reverse link loads for the sectors under its control. In one embodiment, the base station controller makes softness-based control adjustment(s), while in other embodiments, the base station controller transmits softness information and one or more mobile stations make softness-based control adjustments.