Double Foul

commish · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 25, 2000, 06:06pm

I have been a basketball official for nearly 30 years but saw a new situation last Thursday. 3 person crew at the boy's varsity level: A 20 drives to the basket on a transition break-away on Trail-Lead side. There is a massive collision as A20 makes the basket over defensive player B15. Lead calls a charge on A20 and Trail simultaneously calls a block on B15. After consultation, they come out with a double foul and wipe off the basket. Is it possible to have a double foul in this situation - how can you have a charge when the other player blocked? How can you have a block when the other player charged?

Carl Childress · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Dec 25, 2000, 10:21pm

Quote:

Originally posted by commish
I have been a basketball official for nearly 30 years but saw a new situation last Thursday. 3 person crew at the boy's varsity level: A 20 drives to the basket on a transition break-away on Trail-Lead side. There is a massive collision as A20 makes the basket over defensive player B15. Lead calls a charge on A20 and Trail simultaneously calls a block on B15. After consultation, they come out with a double foul and wipe off the basket. Is it possible to have a double foul in this situation - how can you have a charge when the other player blocked? How can you have a block when the other player charged?

Personally, I would call the batter out and return the runner to first. If the coach came to complain, I would....

Wrong board, my friend.

BTW: When I refereed, we would do exactly that. It's called "compromise."

Rich · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Dec 26, 2000, 11:02am

As Carl said, this is a baseball board, but....

I've seen this called at the Division I level myself.

As a semi-retired 11 year basketball official, the whole notion offends my sensibilities. The contact is either a block or a charge, not both.

Each official should have primary areas of coverage. If the foul occurs in that area and two fists come up, the official who is outside his area of responsibility should hesitate and yield to the other official. I've never seen the double foul in a level lower than NCAA. In 2-man, it is even easier, since the areas of coverage are rather well-defined.

I think it happens in college ball because those officials are so headstrong that neither yields to the other's call. So instead of flipping a coin, we end up with a double foul.

Rich