Quote:
Originally posted by Texas Aggie
In the Fed book this year, it says that fouling to stop the clock is "an acceptable coaching strategy." Which is sort of inconsistent with the idea of intentional foul -- and why I would like to see the term changed.
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I'll take a guess as to why they might have said that. The NFHS doesn't dictate coaching strategy. One of their main goals to to provide a fair game by dictating rules. Who can deny that when your team is down late in the forth quarter, you have to stop that clock. You have to get points on the board. Else, your gonna lose. I saw Jimmy V. win every game "coming from behind" by fouling.(at least every game from the sweet sixteen) It's a long shot, but it happens all the time. (Why players can't hit a foul shot is beyond me). He won the NCAA championship by using this strategy. Apparently, it's a pretty good stategy. It's a long shot and it doesn't always work. But, at that point in time, it's your only shot. (I think that they may have added some rules after that tourney, but not exactly sure) So, not to accept that this is a valid strategy would be denying the obvious.
So, the NFHS doesn't pretend to dictate a coaches strategy (except sportsmanship, etc), it definately dictates the players behavior on the court.
NFHS 4-19-3:
..............Contact away from the ball or when not making a legitimate attempt to play the ball, specifically designed to stop or keep the clock from starting, shall be intentional. Intentional fouls may or may not be premeditated and are not based soley on the severity of the act.............
So, while it may be ok for the coach to use this as a strategy, his players BETTER be playing the ball.
I had a game the other night. It was a good one, between two good teams. Late in the forth quarter, visiting team was up by about 5. I'm not sure what the coach was saying (besides "over the back" all night. LOL) It was obvious the home team was going into the "let's foul em" strategy. We checked with the table to make sure we knew the bonus count and any players close to fouling out. Then A1 fouls B1. I blow my whistle. Almost immediately, my partner blows his whistle. I check, he called traveling. I said I had a foul before the travel and the foul casued the travel. As we were going to the other end to shoot foul shots, A1 comes up to me and says something like "wasn't it travel?". I said you fouled him, wasn't that what you were trying to do?. He looks at his team mate and says "Joe, I'm doping here". I had to laugh to myself. What ever "I'm doping here" means.
Anyway, I didn't call the intentional. Could of, probably should have. But, it wasn't a hard foul, only about 7 seconds left on the clock, the game was pretty much over. Of course, both foul shots go in. Clock runs out. It was a good game. (I DID hear the visiting bench yelling "DON'T FOUL, DON'T FOUL")
Somebody has to lose.
Anyway, it's just a guess. NFHS doesn't claim to dictate strategy, just game play.
[Edited by Time2Ref on Feb 16th, 2006 at 08:00 AM]