Quote:
Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
Quote:
Originally posted by coachz_216
An offensive player catches the ball outside the arc, below FT-line extended. He know the rule about being OOB. There are 10 seconds left in the 4th and his team is down 1. He slowly dribbles toward the baseline (possibly with back the the basket, at least turned protecting the ball), the defender, in legal guarding position slides toward the baseline with him--as the offensive player continues towards the baseline, the defensive player's lead foot is going to encounter the OOB line before the offeinsive player. As soon as the offensive player is near enough the boundary that he knows his opponent's foot is OOB, he lowers he shoulder/head and charges toward the basket---
Your going to tell me this is a block???!!!
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Coach, I've been telling you for hours that the RULES say that it is a block. The NFHS rules! The NFHS issues the rule book and tells us what the rules are and how they are supposed to be called. We don't have the option of saying "Hey, I don't like that rule, and I'm damnwell not gonna follow it". If we did, you might never be able to call another TO because I absolutely hate the rule that says a coach can call a TO, and so do a lot of officials.It just don't work that way for the poor guy out on the floor with the whistle in his beak. Now, I'm the guy in my Association that gets all of the little phone calls, e-mails or faxes when someone(coach or AD) thinks that one of my guys screwed something up. If it's a judgement call, I can defend my guy. But if it's a rule that someone clearly screwed up, what response do I have? Do you honestly think that someone is gonna accept me telling them that "yes, we called it wrong by rule, but we really think that the rule was wrong in the first place, so we called it the way that we think the rule should be"?
This play isn't a judgement call, Coach. It's not contact on a rebound or a dribbler, or 3 seconds or something that we can judge as not really affecting the play. If we do make a call on this play, the rules say that the only call that can be made is a block. It's that simple. [/B]
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I'm not trying to be difficult--I understand entirely what you're saying. I guess I'm just trying to speak up in support of one of the earlier posts by jrithchie who said what they were instructed to do in WA.
I have seen it called both ways. Usually officials are apologetic when they call the block, and I have just agreed with them saying "I know...it's a rule". I think the better officials are able to find a way around a strict, legalistic interpretation of this specific rule, because it does happen quickly and they can "plead ignorance" (occasionally) about seeing a defender's foot OOB.
Just because it's a rule, doesn't mean it's a good rule. I seem to remember several rule changes in the past that were later repealed (thankfully). (A 5-second closely-guarded rule that was eliminated a few years/and then brought back comes to mind). Most of the rule changes that NF enacts are usually good--even if they are not widely accepted at first. However, I can't think of any reason why it makes sense to penalize a defender who is in perfectly legal guarding position one second, and then an instant later, because he moved his lead foot another inch (or less), he is now out of legal guarding position and all the advantage goes to the offensive player.
If you choose to make that call--life goes on...--but I can't agree that it's the right call for the game of basketball.