[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I'm not abandoning that entirely. I am mindful, though, that the defense is trying to foul in that situation. Therefore, if a player comes up and "reaches in" and contacts the ball handler, yes, I am calling that a bit differently than the rest of the game. I'm calling that foul. If I don't, that defender will foul a bit harder assuming that I didn't see the original foul attempt. Then the defender will knock the ball handler down.

I'm not saying I'll blow the whistle when the defender gets within a foot of the player, but I know the game situation and I'm mindful that the defense is going to attempt to foul quickly. My goal is to make sure that when the contact happens to get the foul and stop any possible escalation.

Yup. Game management.