[fshrake]

quote:

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Originally posted by Hawks Coach:
Tonight, we had a game where a ref came over to my assistant and explained advantage-disadvantage, from his perspective. We are team A, A1 steals ball at free throw line, guard A2 breaks right away, pass is made while B1 appears to foul A1 with A1 crashing to court, ball bounces out to A2 for easy layup. My assistant is beside himself wanting the foul as soon as A1 crashes (while I try to shut him up and point out that we're getting an easy layup). Asst is still perplexed as to how all that contact didn't result in a foul, even though we "got lucky" and ended up with a layup.

At halftime, the ref said he saw contact and, had we lost the ball, he would have called the foul. But he saw A2 getting an easy bucket and passed on the foul, choosing to rule it incidental.

I like this non-call. I am an old soccer player/coach where advantage is an official part of the rules and "play on" a frequent call. Defenders must either dispossess the offensive player or take them out of a clear opportunity for the call to be made and a free kick awarded. But in basketball, usually you see the foul called regardless of the effect it has on offensive advantage (defenders grabbing at dribblers to get a foul "on the floor" when they have been beaten or hammering a player while he is making an outlet to a teammate all alone down court). How do you guys call this type of play?

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I referee soccer mostly at the DIV 1 Amatuer level and Basketball at Varsity or Adult Leagues. The hardest thing I had to overcome in BB was the "advantage clause". I have learned over the years that A/D only exists under the basket and in the paint. If a foul occurs in plain view of all then it is best to call it. I had a 5AAAAA game where the player got hacked at the halfway line but still maintained possession for a layup. His coach and the crowd were furious because I did not call the foul ( even tho they scored ). By the way the player could not buy a free throw. Go figure.