Does anyone know of a picture online of the famous Alabama toe on the line?
According to reports 2 of 3 camera angles were "inconclusive" while a third showed the toe on the line in the now famous Alabama 3 point shot controversy.
If I recall correctly the Alabama players were wearing black shoes - the 3 point line on the BI-LO court was also black.
Looking at this graphic:
http://mb7.scout.com/fgridscapefrm6....ID=18700.topic
the toe of the shoe appears to be touching the line from this angle but it is not. Two black objects together in a picture can appear to touch when a pixel width is present. It is the nature of video and computer screens.
I tried a little test at home wearing my black 'tennis' shoes.
I placed my foot against a black line
When I leaned slightly back the shoe appeared to be touching the line - when I leaned forward it did not.
The typical basketball shoe curves upward at the toe. Theoretically the toe of the shoe could be slightly over the line without the sole of the shoe touching the line.
Two questions for those who may know the rule.
1) Does the rule say "touching the line" or "over the line"
2) If a player jumps into a shot from behind the line but is above the line when the ball is released, is it a 3 or a 2?
This was a 3 point shot attempt to tie an important basketball game with 5 seconds left. The player definitely thought she was shooting a 3. IF it wasn't a 3 it was by a millimeter less - by any account an insignificant difference of difficulty. She hit the shot and the game appeared to everyone in the arena to be tied except one of three officials. TJ definitely drove to the basket and attempted a shot that failed despite her assertion that she thought it was a 2 point shot.
There was a very simple solution: Let the players decide in overtime the outcome of the game.
These "officials" are ridiculous to decide the outcome of the game based on the flimsy evidence of a camera angle behind the player and the line. (The cameras were at the center of the court) I can make any foot appear to be touching a line from behind the foot and the line but that is not conclusive. A camera would have to be at floor level to the side and front of the shoe to see if the upward curved toe is actually touching the line. Given the tiny monitor available for official viewing it would be impossible to zoom in on the shoe and the line to make an absolutely accurate decision.
Don't get me wrong - I am so glad LSU won and that UT beat them. But I think LSU would have beaten Alabama in overtime just like UT would have beaten Baylor last year. These officials are not expert in video angles or pixel accuracy. Somebody needs to adjust the rules to stop this kind of absurdity from reoccurring