Continuous Motion/Traveling

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BigCat

... determine if it is a pass or shot. i believe that's a guess. If the player, a split second later follows through and dumps the ball to the teammate why would i not consider that? When you look at the whole play it looks clear that he was passing the ball. ... We must decide what the player was doing at the time of contact but I believe we can and must look at what happens immediately thereafter….

It's not just a guess, it's an educated guess based on, in my case, thirty-four years of observing such plays, and the immediate aftermath of such plays. Am I right 100% of the time on such plays? No. But, I bet that I come up with the correct decision almost all the time. And, it's a decision that I always sell ("That's a shot", "That's a pass", "No shot"). It's never a wishy-washy call for me. Any semblance of doubt in my call would always invite criticism from the coaches.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It's not just a guess, it's an educated guess based on, in my case, thirty-four years of observing such plays, and the immediate aftermath of such plays. Am I right 100% of the time on such plays? No. But, I bet that I come up with the correct decision almost all the time. And, it's a decision that I always sell ("That's a shot", "That's a pass", "No shot"). It's never a wishy-washy call for me. Any semblance of doubt in my call would always invite criticism from the coaches.

You are looking at the play and the "immediate aftermath." that is what i am saying. I'm not going to freeze everything at the moment of contact or the moment the whistle is blown. No matter how many years we've done this there are times when we need to keep looking at the play to determine what the player was doing at the time of the whistle.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BigCat

You are looking at the play and the "immediate aftermath." that is what i am saying. I'm not going to freeze everything at the moment of contact or the moment the whistle is blown. No matter how many years we've done this there are times when we need to keep looking at the play to determine what the player was doing at the time of the whistle.

We call this a patient whistle, and we use it in a lot of situations, not just the situation described in this thread.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

We call this a patient whistle, and we use it in a lot of situations, not just the situation described in this thread.

I agree completely. In an ideal world there wouldn't be a whistle because it had no effect on play. But if there is one…that has no effect on play..and then player immediately after whistle dumps it off i think you should consider the dump off. Don't award 2 shots. Otherwise, your calling a foul on a play where there was none, and then, making it worse by giving two shots. A view of the entire play proves it was a pass….Again, why not take into account what the player did with the ball after the phantom whistle to help you figure out what he was doing with the ball at the time of the whistle? that's is my point.

[Pantherdreams]

Originally Posted by BigCat

I agree completely. In an ideal world there wouldn't be a whistle because it had no effect on play. But if there is one…that has no effect on play..and then player immediately after whistle dumps it off i think you should consider the dump off. Don't award 2 shots. Otherwise, your calling a foul on a play where there was none, and then, making it worse by giving two shots. A view of the entire play proves it was a pass….Again, why not take into account what the player did with the ball after the phantom whistle to help you figure out what he was doing with the ball at the time of the whistle? that's is my point.

I don't think its that black and white. I can't read a players mind but they can't read mine either. If they are going up for a shot leaving their feet/stepping and elevating the ball in what I would normally consider and shooting motion and they get fouled that is shooting foul. What if my patient whistle lets the player feel like the contact isn't going to get called and the shot will now be out of rhythm or off balance and gives up on teh shot because of the contact and passes. I'm not a mind reader. Niether are they. If they are fouled in the act of shooting its shots regardless of whether: they travel after the foul, turn it into a pass, make the hoop. All those things do is determine how many shots on the shooting foul.

By the same token when a player feels contact or hears and whistle and turns it into a shot attempt I'm going to make it the NBA. I'm going back to the point of the initial foul.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

... for a shot ... and shooting motion and they get fouled that is shooting foul.

There's certainly enough information here (shot, shooting motion) to call it a shooting foul on a test question. If one makes the same determination (shot, shooting motion) on the court, in a real game, in real time, then it's also a shooting foul. Easy call.

The hard part is being in the right position, being patient, using correct judgment, and making the correct decision, that there has, indeed, been a shot, or that a shooting motion has occurred, which will result in a shooting foul situation. This is when experience, seeing this play hundreds of times, can be very helpful.

Every once in a while, in a two on one situation, the ball handler will only have the intention of elevating the ball to draw the defender, and then make a last second pass as the foul is occurring. We have to be ready, and willing, to make that call (nonshooting situation) when it occurs. Patience, experience, judgment, and decision making, are all part of making the correct call here. And still, after all that, speaking for myself, sometimes we will blow the call.

For kicks, I have occasionally asked a fouled player, while at the free throw line waiting for substitutes to enter, "That was a shot, right?", to have him answer, meekly, "Sure, if you say so".

I will only call the nonshooting situation ("That's a pass", "No shot") if I am 100% sure, otherwise, if there's any small doubt in my mind, I will err toward the side of calling it a shooting foul ("That's a shot"). In all cases, I announce my decision, loudly, at the site of the foul, and I'll sell the heck out of it ("That's a shot", "That's a pass", or "No shot").

(Note to rookies: Never, under any circumstances call, "On the floor".)