NCAA-M Summer Teaching Points/Mechanic Change

[SC Official]

Purists will love this...

1. Mechanics change:
• The Mechanics Committee has eliminated the closed fist “air punch” signal during a player control foul. The proper mechanic should be 1) Stop the clock; 2) Point to the other end; 3) Place a hand behind your head signaling a player control foul. Too many times when an official used the “air punch” with a closed fist, it was misinterpreted for a “count the basket signal.”

It's funny, the closed fist has never been the "approved" player control foul signal in NFHS or NCAA-M. So I would not really consider this a "change" though certainly it will be a habit many officials will have to break. That said, except in maybe a couple instances, I've never confused a player control foul for an and-1 (and I do not use a closed fist on and-1's). If someone observing you can't differentiate between the two, they either need glasses or you need better signals.

[jakeas2]

I know that the punch wasn't the approved mechanic, but to me it is a much stronger signal. Some instances in a game need a strong emphatic call. You can do that with the block, but without using a punch, I'm not sure a hand behind the head gives that strong look on a PCF. Just my opinion. Curious what others think?

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by jakeas2

I know that the punch wasn't the approved mechanic, but to me it is a much stronger signal. Some instances in a game need a strong emphatic call. You can do that with the block, but without using a punch, I'm not sure a hand behind the head gives that strong look on a PCF. Just my opinion. Curious what others think?

I never give "hand behind the head" at the spot. Only at the table. I agree that it's a weak signal, but that's what JDC wants apparently.

I also don't "punch" on PCFs (or TCFs for that matter). Fist up, point (sometimes verbalize "offense" or "illegal"). Sometimes I give it a little more emphasis, but most fouls do not need to be "sold." And punching was a pet peeve of someone I once worked for so I never got in the habit of it. That same supervisor also did not like unnecessary selling of garden-variety calls.

Since I will not be in contention for the NCAA Tournament any time soon, I will probably continue my normal sequence unless I get instructed otherwise by someone who matters to me.

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Someone please tell me this is a late April Fools joke. Hand behind the head is THE WEAKEST signal in all of sports.

I agree.

NCAA-W punches on everything and this hasn't been an issue.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Someone please tell me this is a late April Fools joke. Hand behind the head is THE WEAKEST signal in all of sports.

Wonder why the hand behind the head signal has been, and still is, around, unchanged, for forty years in high school games (NFHS and/or IAABO)?

Observers and evaluators in my little corner of Connecticut have always turned a blind eye to the use of any player control foul signal, which is probably why in a local board of 325 officials we have dozens of different player control foul signals.

The emphasis had always been on understanding the block/charge rule, anticipating the play, avoiding double whistles with preliminary signals, and making the correct call; not on the proper signal.

Of course the signal is the least important aspect of a black/charge play.

That leaves the player control foul signal up to each official's personal preference, often based on what young inexperienced officials observe veteran officials doing in varsity games (or in televised college games), liking it, and copying it.



I've had four different interpreters (training leaders) in forty years, all excellent, and not one has addressed player control foul signals.

I honestly think that they have purposely avoided the issue, afraid that veteran officials would revolt.

On my local board, player control foul signals rank right up there with equipment issues as the most inconsistent things that we do.

Want me to not enforce undershirt rules in a subvarsity game? Tell me, just tell me, and I'll do it.

Want me to use a team control foul punch for both player control and team control fouls? Tell me, just tell me, and I'll do it.

Don't have to standardize the entire world, I'll settle for just my little corner of Connecticut.

Why beat around the bush?

I usually do what I'm told to do by someone in authority.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AremRed

Someone please tell me this is a late April Fools joke. Hand behind the head is THE WEAKEST signal in all of sports.

What is weak about it? They are telling us if I am reading it right to give a point and a signal special to a PC foul.

Peace

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by jakeas2

I know that the punch wasn't the approved mechanic, but to me it is a much stronger signal. Some instances in a game need a strong emphatic call. You can do that with the block, but without using a punch, I'm not sure a hand behind the head gives that strong look on a PCF. Just my opinion. Curious what others think?

If you are not giving yourself a headache by hitting the back of your head then you aren't doing correctly, 🤣!

MTD, Sr.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Purists will love this...

1. Mechanics change:
• The Mechanics Committee has eliminated the closed fist “air punch” signal during a player control foul. The proper mechanic should be 1) Stop the clock; 2) Point to the other end; 3) Place a hand behind your head signaling a player control foul. Too many times when an official used the “air punch” with a closed fist, it was misinterpreted for a “count the basket signal.”

Why would it be misinterpreted for a "count the basket signal" when no closed fist is to be used in that situation? The NFHS signal is an open hand faced down.

Oh yea, now I know why, officials have been doing it incorrectly for a long time. They will probably do something similar with all of the incorrect signals that officials use for illegal use of hands, lol.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by bucky

Why would it be misinterpreted for a "count the basket signal" when no closed fist is to be used in that situation? The NFHS signal is an open hand faced down.

Oh yea, now I know why, officials have been doing it incorrectly for a long time. They will probably do something similar with all of the incorrect signals that officials use for illegal use of hands, lol.

Here is why they likely changed this mechanic to some extent.



Peace

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Here is why they likely changed this mechanic to some extent.

Did they really change the mechanic or just reinforce that the punch is not the approved signal for PCFs and decide they're going to be sticklers come tourney time?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Here is why they likely changed this mechanic to some extent.

Thanks JRutledge. Great video. Very relevant.

[bucky]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Here is why they likely changed this mechanic to some extent.



Peace

If only the official would have placed his hand behind his head, lol.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by bucky

If only the official would have placed his hand behind his head, lol.

Well, it would have looked different than how we count the basket. Again signals do communicate and if you do not communicate the proper way. If his body language was different it might have been clearer. But he was very casual (which is fine), but it looked like possibly a defensive foul.

Again, I do not see the big deal. We did the traditional PC foul for years and no one was complaining.

Peace

[Freddy]

I had trouble identifying the relevance of this discussion, maybe because I don't do NCAA. But I remember one call that happened late this past season that I made a clip of. This is a very good official who, though he's registered as a high school referee, does mostly NCAA-M; I was fortunate to get him to fill in the day before for an injured partner. Solid official, no doubt. This particular ruling was obviously intended to be a block but was just as obviously misinterpreted by most others involved.
Does this illustrate what all this is all about? (I don't recall this topic being an issue with NFHS-oriented officials)

[SC Official]

Originally Posted by Freddy

I had trouble identifying the relevance of this discussion, maybe because I don't do NCAA. But I remember one call that happened late this past season that I made a clip of. This is a very good official who, though he's registered as a high school referee, does mostly NCAA-M; I was fortunate to get him to fill in the day before for an injured partner. Solid official, no doubt. This particular ruling was obviously intended to be a block but was just as obviously misinterpreted by most others involved.
Does this illustrate what all this is all about? (I don't recall this topic being an issue with NFHS-oriented officials)

If he had given a preliminary blocking signal like 99.9% of officials do on block/charge plays there would have been no confusion.