[agelof]

First by way of discalimer I am posting mostly as a parent. I have been coaching up to through the U12 level ... and love the sport as a fan but clearly consider myself as a coach as a work in progress.

I have a pet peave ... I guess I want to see if I have a point or perhaps I'll get a message from a board I respect as to why I am wrong .... and I will be able to let go.

I watch basketball NBA, and college constantly (Uconn grad) .... I see that when defenders are behind a play on a breakaway they let the play run. As I understand it as a novice, if the trailing defender pushes the offensive player or gives a hard foul without a real attempt to play the ball ... the foul is 2 shots and possession. I have heard a simiiar situation called "clear path to the basket." Anyway it seems clear the rules are enforced to keep hard out of control fouling out of these situations by awarding 2 shots and possession. (or a technical foul)

My pet peave is I never see 2 shots and possession awarded in youth games in these situations. I cant understand what I see as a divergence between the way these games are officiated when I watch them on tv as compared to the youth level. This seems to me to be by far the most likely situation to cause a serious injury. On top of the speed the players are traveling, we generally play in smaller gyms with additional dangerous situations behind the basket area.

I just dont get it .. I never see a defensive player just let an offensive player go on a breakaway when they are behind the play. It is the norm that they run as fast as they can and push the offensive player from behind. Bodies go flying ... and the youth officials award the offensive team with an inbounds play (usually because there has been a tackle before a shot attempt) or if lucky a 2 shot foul. Problem is that under either situation, especially where youth free throw shooting is lucky to be much better than 50% ...the message to the coaches and players is that the from behind tackle on a breakway is a good foul.

I have sat through about 40 youth games this year and I have not once seen the 2 shots and possession awarded. The teams I am watching and coaching play a 1-3-1 half court trap defense .. so we are talking about a large number of single player fast break runs. Never uncontested always a run from behind hack.

Is the 2 shot and possession award not in play in the youth situation? If so why not? If anything I would expect that safety concerns would dictate that if a greater emphasis would be made to discourage hard contact on fast breaks at the youth level.