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Fouling at the end of the game to stop the clock is an accepted practice all over the country.
I think the way to avoid rough play is to recognize the time when a team will start fouling and call the foul IMMEDIATELY. Don't demand a good foul. Don't hesitate to call the foul. ANY contact is a foul in this situation. If you don't call a foul on the first contact, the player will think, "If that's not a foul, wait until you see the NEXT one." And then that player will take the ball-handlers head off and you'll be dealing with a lot more than free throws.
If calling an intentional foul in that situation is an accepted practice in your neck of the woods, then do it. It's not in the five states I've called basketball. But don't ever try to interpret the rules on your own. There's nothing worse than being the only one to call something a certain way based on your reading of the rules.
Sure, the players will say they want an intentional foul, but they really aren't expecting you to call one.
Save the intentional foul calls for those situations mentioned above: Excessive contact fouls (that are short of flagrant EVEN when playing the ball), hands to the back, bearhugs, etc.
Rich
[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Jan 10th, 2003 at 04:09 PM]
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