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Originally Posted by Nevadaref
Not according to the rules! I challenge you to find a rule that this player broke.
According to the OP this is the action: "B1 contacts A1 with the hand but the action does not re- direct or cause a hindrance in the offensive players normal movement."
Illegal contact and rough play should be penalized at any time during the game. It does stop potential problems later, if the officials properly penalize it when it occurs early. However, the contact described by the OP is NOT illegal and if you are penalizing this just because it is early in the game, then you are overofficiating and unfairly penalizing the participant.
However, I have to disagree that this kind of contact is currently illegal. There may be more physical contact today which is allowed, but that is not our debate. This specific play--putting a hand on someone once and not inhibiting his movement--is NOT prohibited by the rules.
(Your best argument for this being a foul has to come from either number 5 or 7 under the POE, but neither seems to apply perfectly to this situation.)
RULE 4
SECTION 24 HANDS AND ARMS, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL USE
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ART. 5 . . . It is not legal to use hands on an opponent which in any way inhibits the freedom of movement of the opponent or acts as an aid to a player in starting or stopping.
ART. 6 . . . It is not legal to extend the arms fully or partially in a position other than vertical so that the freedom of movement of an opponent is hindered when contact with the arms occurs. ...
2003-04 NFHS POE #2
A. Handchecking:
1.Any tactic using the hands, arms or body that allows a player, on offense or defense, to "control" (hold, impede, push, divert, slow or prevent) the movement of an opposing player is a foul.
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4.Any act or tactic of illegal use of hands, arms or body (offense or defense) that intentionally slows, prevents, impedes the progress or displaces an opposing player due to the contact, is a foul and must be called. >>
5.Regardless of where it takes place on the floor, when a player continuously places a hand on the opposing player, it is a foul. >>
6.When a player places both hands on an opposing player, it is a foul. >>
7.When a player jabs a hand or forearm on an opponent, it is a foul. |
Gee, how about POE 4A in the 2001-02 rule book? Did you forget to cite that one? It says:
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"Defenders are NOT permitted to have hands on the dribbler."
-"The measuring up of an opponent(tagging) IS hand-checking, is NOT permitted, and is a FOUL."
-"Hand checking is NOT incidental contact; it gives a tremendous advantage to the person illegally using their hands."
Amazing, eh? The FED says that hand-checking is NOT incidental contact. They also say that just putting a hand on an opponent and then taking it right off(otherwise defined as "tagging") IS a foul. And they repeated those statements word-for-word in the next year's rule book too.
You can always find something somewhere in the rules to back up any goofy thesis if you try hard enough. Common sense seems to work better in my experience. Unfortunately, imo common sense seems to come with age and experience--something that you're never going to attain before your retirement from officiating.
Fwiw btw, I agree with Rut. There are no absolutes.