A tough sitch here IMO. From the original post it really sounds like the player was mugged. IMO if the contact was obvious and the now defensive player was making a legit attempt for the ball, we have to have a foul. If the player truely had controle of the ball and was tackled, would we have the fortitude to call and intentional or flagrant foul??? If the D player simply "crushed" the player in control of the ball it has to be whistled. However one could make a pretty good case that they were just very agressively going after the rebound. Now we have to determine whetjer the player was heaving the ball at the basket or just wildly flinging it away in a desparation pass. IMO you would have to be 110% or more sure that that player was making a shot atempt to award 3 throws.
You did the right thing IMO and huddled w/ partner to see what both saw. Obviously neither of you were SURE this was a shot attempt and went w/ the common foul.
I think some of us are being a little hard on Rich about burying the whistle. I think the jist of his point is that contact (that doesn't draw blood) that does not determine the outcome of the game can be ignored near the horn. OBviously if a team is in position to win/tie a game our fortitude must increase and we must make the call no matter how "displeasing" to some it may be.
This is where we get payed the big bucks, to decide intent and spirit of the rules as they apply, especially when the game is on the line. IMO a good 15 sec conference w/ your partner to discuss some of this at the inevitable TO w/ under a minute to play is a good time to do this. Then you are both on the same page for sitchs that may occur.
Others also had a good point about the defense "not being smart" by fouling here. Were they simply going after the rebound or was it a legitamite "stupid" foul. We need to have the fortitude to penalize accordingly.
Sorry to ramble here but the last minute of a close game is what separates the good officials from the average ones. We have allowed the kids to play 31 minutes of basketball working to decide the outcome. This includes Turnovers and missing freethrows etc. We tend to use that reason as to why a good team lost a game. However we also need to apply that to why the other team has kept themself in position to win a game. We cannot use the former thinking to bail a team out or to think a team does not deserve to win. We need to be strong and allow them to decide that last minute as well, no matter what the implications may be. Sitchs like this are what should really make you truely love officiating (gosh that sounded really sentimental)
[Edited by MN 3 Sport Ref on Feb 5th, 2003 at 10:29 AM]