Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyMac
As a high school only official, I will interpret this under current NFHS rules and a relevant, but old, Point of Emphasis, that as a veteran official I'm am well aware of and can't ignore, or pretend to ignore, because, as far as I know, it's still valid, has never been ruled invalid, null, or void, and there have been no relevant rule changes, or interpretation changes to invalidate such.
Contact above shoulders? Yes. Elbow to chin.
Excessively swinging elbows? Yes, elbows were swinging with no feet pivoting, as well as elbows swinging faster than the hips were rotating.
Type of foul? A moving elbow that is excessive that results in contact above shoulders can be either an intentional foul or flagrant personal foul.
My interpretation: Intentional excessive contact foul. Close, but not quite violent enough to be a flagrant foul.
4-19-3: An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may not be premeditated and is not based solely on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include, but are not limited to: Excessive contact with an opponent while the ball is live
4-19-4: A flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent nature involves, but is not limited to violent contact such as: striking, kicking and kneeing.
2012-13 Points Of Emphasis Contact Above The Shoulders
With a continued emphasis on reducing concussions and decreasing excessive contact situations the committee determined that more guidance is needed for penalizing contact above the shoulders. A player shall not swing his/her arm(s) or elbow(s) even without contacting an opponent. Excessive swinging of the elbows occurs when arms and elbows are swung about while using the shoulders as pivots, and the speed of the extended arms and elbows is in excess of the rest of the body as it rotates on the hips or on the pivot foot.
Examples of illegal contact above the shoulders and resulting penalties.
1. Contact with a stationary elbow may be incidental or a common foul.
2. An elbow in movement but not excessive should be an intentional foul.
3. A moving elbow that is excessive can be either an intentional foul or flagrant personal foul.
How will an inexperienced official interpret this with no current rulebook containing the 2012-13 Contact Above The Shoulders Points Of Emphasis?
Hopefully, he would have had a great trainer who covered this situation during the training classes.
Failing that, the inexperienced official would have to make his interpretation solely based on 4-129-3 and 4-19-4.
Stupid NFHS.
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I do not see that as excessive at all and can make a case the contact was with mostly the chest then the head and neck area. He does not even have a bent elbow that was used, he is just turning. But the point is nothing in the current rule says that this is an intentional or even flagrant foul just because of where you contact them.
The NCAA has got even more specific and this could have been ruled a cylinder play at that level. One reason, the defender is supposed to give the ball handler room to move or pivot naturally. This is the thing, the NCAA used to have any elbow hitting an opponent as a Flagrant Foul (similar to targeting in football). If you deemed that took place in a monitor review, it was considered a Flagrant Foul no matter the circumstances for the most part. Well, they got rid of that because it made no damn sense. You were getting players just doing normal stuff and getting an upgrade that often was not even seen but on replay. So that is one of the reasons I do not like the NF position then (if that is even the position) because the game has evolved and addressed these issues in other codes. The rule cannot be so black and white on a grey type of play. And we have no monitor either?
Peace