Quote:
Originally Posted by fiasco
There are certain phrases that are understood by the "basketball community" (coaches, fans, players) and that officials tend to get all bent out of shape about. "Over the back" is one of them.
I don't have a problem with the term. I don't use it when I officiate, but it's not like I'm going to go out there and act like a coach who's talking to me about it is an idiot, either. "No such thing as over the back, coach." That's just plain silly.
We have to live in reality. And in reality, "on the floor," "over the back" and "reach" are just phrases that are accepted in the basketball community. Doesn't mean we have to use them when we officiate, but acting like they are perpetuating some myth and harming the game is rather absurd.
Our job (with coaches, at least, when asked) is to communicate why the action on the floor did or did not constitute a foul. No more, no less. 99 percent of fans and coaches are going to understand when you say "on the floor" that the calling official means it's not a shooting foul. If you have that big of a problem with it, pregame it with your partner. "Hey Fred, when I say "on the floor," I mean it's not a shooting foul."
edit to add: I'm not going to tell a coach "no such thing as over the back" but I will say "no displacement on that, coach". And, yes, too many coaches (seem to) think that a taller player should be penalized for reaching over a shorter player to get a rebound.
Getting all bent out of shape about the words used is just a waste of time.
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I agree that a foul committed before the try is (usually) also "on the floor."
The problem is that many then come to believe that all fouls "on the floor" result in no FTs (assuming it's before the bonus), and that's not true.
If A then B does not imply if B then A.
It's the same with "reach" and "over the back" -- a player may have fouled by reaching, but it doesn't mean that all reaching is a foul.
edit to add: I'm not going to tell a coach "no such thing as over the back" but I will say "no displacement on that, coach". And, yes, too many coaches (seem to) think that a taller player should be penalized for reaching over a shorter player to get a rebound.