[eg-italy]

Originally Posted by Old School

If you try to go CHARGE, you don't have enough time and distance to make it, imo. NFHS 4-27-5.

Time and distance are not a factor when judging contacts involving the ball handler on the floor (which means not airborne). This is basic basketball, in all rule sets.

Originally Posted by Old School

What I mean here and I stated my position very clearly earlier in the thread. You don't have enough information by NFHS rules and standards. They want you to watch the feet of the defense to determine if he's set, which nobody at this point in the game is going to be watching anybody feet from the Lead position.

That's the same in Italy: officiate the defense is what we are taught and what I teach to young officials. During the whole game, of course. If you want to call correctly a block-charge situation, the only way is to see whether the defensive player has got LGP. Be it at the beginning of the game or at the end.

Originally Posted by Old School

You are suppose to watch from the waste up.

I guess you mean the waist, don't you? Why should we look there before being sure if the defense has LGP? Stay deep beyond the baseline and you'll see feet, waist and hands.

Originally Posted by Old School

Even if you determine that defense has LGP, how can you say honestly that the offensive player hasn't use that last step when we can barely determine from watching the damn tape afterwards. There's no way as an official at real time speed you can determine that on the offensive player. So you reason by watching the defense along, that the defender got set, charge, when you don't even know the status of the offense! This is a rulebook call, not a game time deicision call!

Well, RookieDude did see correctly. It is possible, after all. He had a good angle and a good position: great job.

You have to know about the offensive player: if he is airborne or not. Not difficult, if you learn how to correctly officiate the defense.

Originally Posted by Old School

If your position is I don't care about the offense because I know the defense is set. That is not an intelligent decision. Again, this is a rulebook call. You have completely disregarded the offense in this play. By definition of the rules, we are supposed to create a balance of fair play. My position is simply this. The only defendable call the official can make here is a block. Anything else is a guess. We might as well remove rule 4-23-4b because you never looked at the offensive player to determine if this was true. There wasn't enough time.

That's what the rules say: if the defensive player has obtained LGP before the offensive player, the latter is responsible for the contact.

If you really think it is impossible to judge that contact, consider officiating something else, maybe bridge, where the play is not so fast as in basketball.