Quote:
Originally Posted by Nevadaref
Walter,
You need to read the OP again, and review the rules for live ball and dead ball.
The foul against the shooter seems to occur AFTER he has released the ball, but before he has returned to the floor. If that is the case, then the ball will remain live until the try ends. Therefore, if the foul by the player near the basket also occurred AFTER the try was in flight, then it doesn't matter which one came first. They are both live ball fouls and MUST be penalized BY RULE. Under such circumstances there is no provision for penalizing one foul and ignoring the other. That would be setting aside the rules. Unfortunately, that is exactly what Brad recommends. Nowhere in his post does Brad recommend penalizing both fouls. He says that is "the worst option." Instead he says to pick only one, even when the officials can't tell which one happened first! 
He is completely wrong BY RULE. 
The only way that just a single foul could be called on this play is if it was determined that A2's foul occurred BEFORE A1 released the ball on the try for goal. That would make the ball dead immediately and there wouldn't be a try or a foul against the airborne shooter. However, that was clearly not the case here according to the timing stated by the OP.
I don't know how the two officials would determine which foul came first if they were each watching the action in their areas of coverage. It would be impossible to say. Fortunately, I've already told you that it doesn't matter and that BY RULE both fouls are to be penalized. Furthermore, the simultaneous foul rule says that the fouls only have to take place at "approximately the same time." That certainly fits the OP's description. |
I have always agreed that both fouls need to be punished. I also agree that both fouls were live ball fouls. Maybe I am reading between the lines of Brad's post. I believe he is saying what I wrote. Get together, determine, if possible, which came first and penalize in the order they occurred. Now, if after the officials get together, they cannot determine whether one came before the other, then they have no choice and the simultaneous foul rule applies. Thankfully I have never been in that situation and hope I never am. I can only imagine the reaction of the Team A coach when I tell him there will be no free throw even though his/her shooter was still in the act when they got fouled. Chances are pretty good they won;t buy the that's the rule coach without some type of argument.