VCU / George Washington - Legal/Illegal Screen?

[Coach Bill]

Originally Posted by BigCat

The NFHS rule 4-40 does verbatim. Side and front is visual field. Behind is not within visual field. NCAAM doesn't say the words side or front but meaning is same. 4-34-3. Within visual field anywhere short of contact is fine. Outside of it one step.

I did look up "visual field." Merriam Webster says the visual field is determined by person looking straight ahead. Anything in the periphery is within visual field. If I look straight ahead I can still see to side. Now if I concentrate so much on what is directly in front of me I can't see anything to side. I'm Not using my peripheral vision. That does not mean that what is there, the screener in this play, is not within my visual field.

Finally, 4-21-4 of NCAAM rules say player screened within visual field expected to avoid contact. Fact that he doesn't have the ball doesn't matter.

What about the fact that he is screening a moving opponent and if you slow it down, the contact occurs on his first step after screen is set. I think its illegal.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by Coach Bill

What about the fact that he is screening a moving opponent and if you slow it down, the contact occurs on his first step after screen is set. I think its illegal.

A few random thoughts at 1133pm when i cant feel my right knee...

1. Im not a fan of the rule which says a player with foot on the line or OB doesn't have legal guarding position. I get the reasoning, but as i always say, its hard to get kids to stay in or move and accept contact. When they do, id prefer to reward that. Even if foot OB. In this play, i see that as the biggest issue. I dont like it, BUT, if you say a player cannot have lgp with foot OB not sure how you can say its ok for screener. True it isnt in screener rule but probably because it doesn't come up. Personally, i dont need an interp to say this is illegal. I would go with illegal cause make no sense to say its ok. If an interp tells me its ok then i would change.


2. My comments to johhny were over fact this wasnt a blind screen. The next issue after foot OB is a screen on a moving opponent so Bill, you are on track. I didnt look at it slowed down frame by frame because i dont referee that way. First glance i thought screener was there and defender shuffled once or twice. What i saw leads me to think he had time and distance to avoid contact.

3. Im fine with whatever the call was. Replay officials have it made. Its another world as we know on the court. If you create a situation where i have to make a choice, as here, you might not like my choice. I cant predict when i will screw up. I will do the best i can but if you winning or losing comes down to me and this last call you simply didnt play well enough. That's how i coached and what i believe.

This post was over the length limit so im throwing 10 bucks into the kitty...

[Amesman]

Originally Posted by BigCat

This post was over the length limit so im throwing 10 bucks into the kitty...

Use it for ice -- for his knee and his drink ... on the house