Help me not be a clueless commentator.
 

I'm doing play by play for our local JuCo this year and I'd like some help. Being a football official, I know what it's like to watch/listen to a game and have to hear a commentator spout false information. So I'd like y'all to help me not be that guy by answering a few questions. Thanks in advance for any help.

1. Does NJCAA play by NCAA rules? NCAA with modifications? Completely different book?

2. What do we as announcers get wrong the most?

3. What are the new changes/points of emphasis this year?

4. Major differences between the men's and women's rule set?

5. Anything else you find yourself wanting to tell announcers when you're watching a game?

Thanks again for any help.

I don't listen to the announcer during the game, so I really cant give you much insight. I am a bit curious why you would need to know rules changes or points of emphasis. If you are broadcasting to an audience watching or perhaps listening to the game on radio or tv, I can understand how that knowledge might be useful, but as an announcer during the game aren't you just giving the names of players entering/leaving the game, who scored, who assisted, etc? I cant imagine a situation where the announcer would be describing or explaining a rule or poe to the crowd at a game.

Hey! Someone else who works in TV!

1. NJCAA doesn't have to play by NCAA rules but to make life easy on those involved it generally does. There's one difference I know off the top of my head: NCAAM now allows players to dunk during warmups. NJCAA does not.

2. Rules :). My one pet peeve is when announcers say a foul is on Player X before seeing the official's signal and then they say, "Actually, they changed the foul to..." The official didn't change the foul. The announcer got it wrong. Just admit it.

3. See NCAA.com

4. See answer #3...but the big differences off the top of my head would be:
*NCAAW = 4 10-min qtrs, NCAAM = 2 20-min halves
*W = 2-shot bonus on 5th foul of qtr, M = 1+1 bonus on 7th of half, 2-shot bonus on 10th foul of half
*W = HC can be granted a timeout when ball is live, M = HC cannot be granted a timeout when ball is live
*W = no set penalty for players who fake fouls, M = players who fake fouls can be penalized (I'm an NCAAW's official so I don't know what the penalty is)
*W = restricted arc is 3 feet, M = restricted arc is 4 feet
*W = team granted a timeout can advance ball to 28-foot mark in last 0:59.9 of game, M = no rule

Obviously there are others but these are the ones that come to mind.

5. Silence is golden. Knowing when to be quiet is just as important as knowing when to speak.

Yes they do when it comes to playing rules. Do they have some specific procedures or modifications? Yes they do as well. There is not NJCAA Rulebook.

Talking about rules or interpretations.

On the Men's side there are 32 rules changes. It is better to just show you the rules video to get an idea.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qkm6mrpHpYk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Better to look in the NCAA Rulebooks that are also online. I do not claim to know those differences, but NCAAW did make a lot of different rules changes this year.

Well if you are talking about TV or radio, they really need to stop trying to talk about rules. It is clear almost none have ever picked up a rulebook and the rulebook is literally free online.

Peace

He said he does play-by-play, which is one half of a broadcasting team.

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To expand on this point, in W the restricted arc is only on when the drive by the offensive player begins outside the lower defensive box (the LDB is an imaginary box the extends three feet outside the lane lines up to the second free throw hash mark). In M the arc is always on.

Thanks for the responses. I especially appreciate the training tape. Is there a similar one for women's games? A couple follow up questions.

The restricted arc only applies to a secondary defender right? A primary defender can still draw a charge in the arc, correct? If a secondary defender is in (or above) the arc and there is contact, is it automatically a foul?

When y'all say commentators get "rules" wrong, specifically which rules would you say are the commonly misunderstood? I'm not expecting to be a rules expert, but maybe 3-5 of the most common misconceptions by fans/commentators?

I've downloaded both rule books. After my football game tonight I'll be starting my studying and I may be back with some more questions.

Yes, there is a similar training video on the rules. I don't know how to embed it.

RA is only for a secondary defender. Only means it can't be a charge (except in some rare situations). You can have contact without it being a foul.

I'll start with "you must be set to take a charge" and "that's a moving screen"

Didn't you mean secondary?

He forgot his meds.

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The rule is that a secondary defender cannot establish legal guarding position within the restricted arc for purposes of drawing a foul on a player either with the ball or who has just passed the ball (player-control or charging foul). Things to remember:

*On a fast break, all defenders are initially secondary defenders
*All defenders - primary or otherwise - are still permitted to play defense within the restricted arc, i.e., they're allowed to try to block shots
*A secondary defender can establish legal guarding position outside of the restricted arc, back up into the arc - while maintaining LGP - and draw a player-control/charging foul
*A player is considered to be in the restricted arc if their feet are inside the arc, on the line or above the line (i.e., they're on their toes but their heels are above the line)
*The restricted arc doesn't give the offense carte blance to wipe out a defender. If the offense makes flagrant contact with the defender or leads with a foot or an unnaturally extended knee or wards off with their arm, the foul is on the offense
*In NCAAW games, the restricted arc is not in effect if the ball handler/dribbler starts her move to the basket outside the lower defensive box (an imaginary box designated by two tick marks on the endline and the second lane space marks from the free-throw line)

As to the the "automatic foul" question: if...
*there's contact determined to be illegal within the restricted arc, and
*the defender established LGP within the arc, and
*the offensive player did not cause flagrant contact or lead with a foot or an unnaturally extended knee or ward off with their arm

The foul should be called on the defender.

On the Men's side that only applies if it is an outnumbered fast break.

It always bothers me when the broadcasters diagnose a whistle and then have to correct themselves 10-15 seconds later when they figure out what happened.

If it's not obvious to you why the whistle was blown, don't assume. Wait for the PA announcer to say his piece or just admit to your audience that you're not sure what the whistle is for.