[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

What is the definition of a common foul?

What is the definition of a player control foul?

What is blocking?

What is charging?

A player control foul is a COMMON FOUL committed by a player while he/she is in control of a the ball (NCAA Men's/Women's and NFHS) or by an airborne player (NCAA Women's and NFHS). When we officiate we must first determine if a contact foul was committed and if a foul was committed we have to decide the following things:

Was the ball dead or live? Live: personal foul. Dead: technical foul.

If the foul is personal, is the foul a common foul or not a common foul?

If the foul is not a common foul, is the foul a double personal foul, an intentional foul, a flagrant foul, part of a multiple foul, or a foul committed against a player trying or tapping for a field goal (in this case is the foul blocking, charging, hand checking, holding, illegal use of the hands, or pushing?)?

If the foul is a common foul, is the foul blocking, charging, hand checking, holding, illegal use of the hands, or pushing? And then if the foul was committed by a player in control of the ball we then signal a player control foul.

When it comes to common fouls, a player control foul is just the result of one of the six type of fouls common fouls committed by a player in control of the ball.

At one time the prescribed mechanics for signaling and reporting a player control foul was the same as anyother common foul: signal one of the following: blocking, charging, hand checking, holding, illegal use of the hands, or pushing, and follow that with the player control signal. I think that we should go back to this mechanic because it would better communicate to coaches what the player did.

Charging is not the only type of foul that usually ends up as a player control foul. How many times 1) Have we seen the ball handler back the defender down and then use his/her free hand to hook around the defender's waist to hold the defender in place and spin around the defender. 2) Or the ball handler uses his/her free hand or arm to push the defender away. 3) Or the ball handler uses his/her free hand or arm to knock a defender's hand away from attacking the ball.

In 1) you have a holding foul. In 2) you have a pushing foul. And in 3) you have an illegal use of the hands foul. But in all cases the foul is also a player control foul.

To describe a foul as simply a player control foul is not enough when trying to teach a new official, player, or coach the rules. We must read, write, and speak the language of the game. I hate to sould like a lawyer but it is true. I am a structural engineer, and I have to speak in the language of mathematics as well as the dicipline specific language of structrual engineering. We have to do the same in officiating. This protects us from coaches and sports journalists, who like do not know the rules, from twisting our words or misquoting us.