Hair Pull-Missed call video
 

Only way the Trail misses this is if he is following the flight of the ball instead of officiating the shooter up and down.

Assuming I was on the floor and saw this play...

I would obviously call the foul, and then get together with one or both of my partners to discuss what happened and possibly upgrading it from a common foul. My initial reaction when seeing it is this is a fighting act, and I'm calling a flagrant technical and ejecting the player from the game.

I'm curious what others think.

There has been much discussion about this play on a couple of Facebook groups. This game was played in the OhioHSAA NW District in Bellevue H.S. approximately 70 miles east of Toledo, and I do not know who were the Game Officials.

Here is my observation and it is the same as the first time I saw the video in Facebook:

1) From the very start of the Throw-in the T is not in proper position. His starting point should have been no further away from the End Line that the FT Line Extended. I do not like throwing the T under the bus but he has no excuse for being so far away from the FT Line Extended.

2) Once W2 received the Throw-in Pass from W1 the T never closed down toward W2. It appears that he follows the Ball to the Basket instead of staying with the play. Even more puzzling is that it appears that he saw W2's pull B2 to the floor by her hair and choose to do nothing by the fact that he gave a "safe signal".

3) What do I have? The Ball was Live when W2 grabbed B2 by her hair and forcefully pulled her to the floor. I have a FPF charged to W2. W2 is disqualified from the Game. B2 is awarded two FTs and then Team B is awarded a Designated Spot Throw-in nearest the Spot of W2's PF.


As one see from the WTOL article that the OhioHSAA has become involved. I read in another article the W2 is the daughter of Team W's HC and has a basketball scholarship to a MAC school; I do not know how true that report is. I do not know what kind of action that the OhioHSAA can or will take with the T but I would not want to be in his shoes.

MTD, Sr.

Bryan:

The Ball was Live. The Foul would be a Flagrant Personal Foul.

MTD, Sr.

Dammit. :(

I am going to be honest, I have no idea what happened here. If you did not tell me this was a hair pull, I would have thought the player slipped. The angle is so far away and out of position.

But if that is what happened, get rid of this player. Flagrant foul and move on. But the Trail is so far away he has no idea what happened. So not surprised this was missed.

Peace

Going to be honest. I’m pretty good at staying with the shooter. But not forever. Once’s there’s no immediate contact, I turn my attention to rebounding action. I would hope my positioning would put me in a position to see both rebounding and this foul, but I’d be lying if I was sure I’d stay connected long enough to see this directly.

This was a very dirty play, almost as if this player had a grasp on the point when officials usually shift their attention to the basket. Of course our Trail in this video lost focus immediately, but even if they hadn’t, there’s a chance this still gets missed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree. I'm not sure how anyone can really be sure of what happened in that video. Perhaps the original was much better quality.

The reaction of the player that went down was consistent with being grabbed and pulled/thrown to the floor, but I can't make any other claim about what occurred.

As for the T's position, even if he were 5 feet closer, I think he still misses due to the angle. I don't think his distance really had anything to do with it. It was a very weird situation that seemed to come out of nowhere.

He is looking behind the player. So if he had a more open look, then it might have been a better chance at picking up this play.

I am liking the suggestion that you see at other levels to come down and under the shooter, instead of behind the shooter. The game has changed, we should adjust.

Peace

Agree....he could have been in a better position, but closer, as some suggested, wouldn't have done it. He would have just had a closer closed look. He would have needed to either be below, as you suggest, or more into the court looking between.

I referee a low Trail, and I don't leave the shooter if the defender comes that close. I've called a few common fouls on defenders after the shooter has landed. So I'm quite confident I would have seen this foul based on the mechanics I use.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Hair Pull-Missed call video
 

100% agree and have been doing this for about five years now. Totally ok to work very low as trail if you’re outside the ball. Better to open low outside then to open high inside. I love the looks I get down there.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Actually found a much better video that shows this started WAY before the end line inbounds..just prior to this as subs are being beckoned the white jersey girl with hands by her side elbows the girl that she eventually yanked down as players are moving around!! Where are the officials thru this time as this takes place in the paint? Regardless this is a violent and volatile play as she clearly yanks,pulls,jerks girl down !!! Now let me make it clear EJECTION NO QUESTIONS ASKED!! This just didn’t manifest itself during this short period

Thanks for not sharing.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6131870136001#sp=show-clips

I googled for other clips and this one is a pretty clear clip (good focus).

It almost looks like the shooter actually grabs a tied headband because the girls hair can be seen in what looks to be a pony tail that flops away as she is pulled to the floor. Either way doesn't matter in that clip she is clearly jerked to the floor from something on her head being pulled and it is blatantly flagrant.

I would like to see extended video of the elbow mentioned earlier but couldn't find it.

That was flagrant and premeditated. She did clearly grab the headband and yank her down.

There's a lot going on there in a quick time frame.

There's a late, unneeded illegal box out on the shooter who then retaliates and grabs the base of ponytail/hair and flings opponent to ground.

If the crowd is to be believed there was some build towards this.

Call the foul on the box out, call the flagrant foul on the toss down. Eject the tosser.

I hear someone yell "number 14 just shoulder checked.." and 14 is the one who yanks. I did not feel there was an illegal box out on shot but whatever...

Point is, as trail official, stay with shooter/play. Close in/down on shots, not the opposite.

How long? The trail also has rebounding duties and the ball was being rebounded by then. Which place is more likely to need coverage? I'd say rebounding. Once the shot has hit the rim, I'm turning my attention to that.

Easier Done In A Three Person Game ...
 

Agree. Good point.

For as long as reasonably possible in a two person game, especially a boys game (goaltending/basket interference).

https://live.staticflickr.com/3775/1...8029f778_m.jpg

This wasn't a 2-person game. He needs to stay with the active matchup in his primary. Other 2 officials can handle rebounding.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Disadvantaged ...
 

I know, and I also know that it wasn't a boys game, I just wanted to put in good word for those of us who are disadvantaged to almost always work in a two person system, where the lead is never going to catch goaltending, or basket interference, and often needs help with rebounding fouls.

Even with my lack of three person experience, I am fully aware that the three person game is a completely different story.

Even in a two-man game, the first priority is to take the shooter up and down and make sure there's no illegal contact associated.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

True, but after the shooter is down and the shot is over, you have to move on at some point....other action and matchups become higher priority.

If I have a defender who may take out a shooter after they become grounded or there has been contention between the two players, I'm watching for that.

I rather miss a run-of-the-mill rebounding foul than miss a non-basketball play that ends up on YouTube.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Protect The Shooter ...
 

"Protect the shooter" (and in this odd case, the defender).

At some point after the shot is released and the shooter lands, the trail has to start looking for other things (goaltending, basket interference, rebounding fouls).

But at what point?

Ay, there’s the rub!

(Yes, we have Shakespeare's Hamlet quoted on The Forum. My high school English teacher, Mr Baumgartner, would be quite proud of me.)

Official's Worst Nightmare ...
 

How true.

Fifteen seconds of fame that none of us want.

With everybody's grandmother having a high quality video camera in their cellphone, everything that we do can eventually end up on the YouTube, or on the Twitter, or on the Instagram (not sure what that is).

I often end my pregame with, "Let's not screw up".

Sometimes I substitute another word for "screw".

For as long as it is necessary. Trail may have rebounding duties but I would say that, as a general statement, they fall within the Trails PCA. IOW, if the ball rebounds on C's side, and there are only 2 players there, I, as Trail, am not even thinking about watching those two players. That area is likely to need more coverage and the C can get that. T can turn their attention to rebounding if it is applicable to their area. I think Raymond's points were valid. In the video after the shot, there were 4 players that I would consider to be next to each other. Two opponents were near the hoop and then the shooter/defender. There was plenty of space between all other players, especially in the Trails PCA. That space negates attention. Soooo... T should have been right there in closed down position and staying there with those two players until transition begins. Then, the new T takes over watching those players. Again, bottom line is that T began waaay too far away from the play and lost sight of the two primary players in his area.

The Buck Stops Here ...
 

Don't forget about the goaltending and basket interference duties in a two person boys high school game.

I agree with Raymond. First priority is the shooter/defender matchup, things can happen even after the shooter lands (illegal displacement box out is not uncommon).

When to look away from the shooter/defender matchup?

We get paid the big bucks because we know when to look for other things.

I don't disagree. But, the point is, if you think the action is over, you move to what you think is the most important matchup to cover. Sometimes we get that wrong. Yes, he missed it. Better positioning may have led to it being caught, or not. If he stays with that and the same thing happens elsewhere, we'd be saying he stayed with the shooter too long.

And how does that trail know that there are no other matchups needing attention without, for a moment, looking away, if only for a moment, a moment long enough for something entirely unexpected to happen.

No, we'd be blaming his partner(s) for missing something in their area, just as his partners probably did to him.


By looking before the event takes place. Anticipating basketball action is extremely easy. We can all see things coming miles before they occur. This foresight is even more applicable to situations that involve the ball, like the OP. This T neither looked at the shot long enough nor anything else in his area. He chose, apparently, the flight of the ball. Anyone would be unaware of anything needing attention by following the ball. Lastly...something unexpected? Always expect the unexpected.

Now, given all that, I will be the 7th to admit that I have missed things. No debate there and I certainly am not perfect. For anyone reading, I just suggest, stay with the shooter/situation by closing in, not away.