[fullor30]

Originally Posted by Rufus

I didn't want to hijack Representing's thread, but the responses to it got me thinking about intentional fouls and whether or not I would have called one on the play posted. For reference here's the contact (for purposes of my question I'm disregarding the T before contact and am looking to discuss the contact afterward):

YouTube - Technical & Unsportsmanlike Foul

To save everyone looking it up, here is the NFHS definition for Intentional Foul:

An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul which neutralizes an opponent's obvious advantageous position. Contact away from the ball or when not making a legitimate attempt to play the ball or a player, 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 on solely on the severity of the act. A foul also shall be ruled intentional if while playing the ball a player causes excessive contact with an opponent.

My first reaction looking at the clip (again, only interested here in the contact foul, not the T the proceeded it) was that it was a hard foul and we're obviously shooting free throws in some number depending on if the ball went in. Having read responses to the previous post, though, there seems to be consensus that and intentional foul was committed.

My question is this - are you relying on the "causes excessive contact" above to call that foul intentional? How does that jibe with "are not based solely on the severity of the act?" The foul in the clip is obviously a hard foul, but there was apparently an attempt to make a play on the ball (however inept it was in execution). I guess what I'm looking for is how do you determine if a foul is intentional in that type of situation?

Aaah........I think I'm going with excessive contact