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To make this call demands that the referee determine whether or not the contact was incidental. Within rule 4 there are some pertinent articles on incidental contact.
Rule 4 SECTION 27 INCIDENTAL CONTACT
Incidental contact is contact with an opponent which is permitted and which does not constitute a foul.
ART. 2 . . . Contact which occurs unintentionally in an effort by an opponent to reach a loose ball, or such contact which may result when opponents are in equally favorable positions to perform normal defensive or offensive movements, should not be considered illegal, even though the contact may be severe.
ART. 5 . . . If, however, a player approaches an opponent from behind or from a position from which he/she has no reasonable chance to play the ball without making contact with the opponent, the responsibility is on the player in the unfavorable position.
Sideline - this is often a call that will drive one coach ballistic and have the other coach saying "great call ref." I have seen some pretty good collisions with no-calls, which is clearly ok by the rules. In the case you cite, the ref had to determine that one player had a more favorable position. If that player is denied the chance to catch the ball because of the contact, the ref should call a foul. I do believe that refs tend to give the benefit of doubt to the offense and good defense is sometimes unfairly punished. But it is equally true that in many cases, since the pass is to an offensive player, the offense will be in a favorable position. But if the defender breaks to the ball first and has the favorable position, the foul call can and should go against the offense (if any call is made).
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