Fun With Multiple Illegal Contacts …

[BillyMac]

Disclaimer: For IAABO eyes only. Below is not a NFHS interpretation, it's only an IAABO International interpretation which obviously doesn't mean a hill of beans to most members of this Forum.

https://storage.googleapis.com/refqu...3ha1XCenJH.mp4

IAABO International Play Commentary: Correct Answer: One Personal Foul and Two Technical Fouls

The Trail official is ruling a handchecking foul on Black #3 when the ball handler (White #24) pivots and contacts Black #3 above the shoulders with his elbow. The Trail official does a good job recognizing the situation and quickly reacts to separate the players to avoid further issues and a possible fighting situation. (4-18) So the question becomes, do these fouls happen at approximately the same time? For those who have responded to this question, as well as the IAABO Co-coordinators, the answer is pretty well split down the middle.

Let’s review the two possibilities for assessing a penalty on this play.

Option #1: Double Foul & Technical Foul
Charge a Double foul: Charge a personal foul to Black #3 and an intentional foul to White #24 as the fouls do happen at approximately the same time. Despite the different disparity of these fouls, no free throws will be awarded due to this being treated as a double foul.
Charge Black #3 with an Intentional Technical Foul: The team in the white jerseys should be awarded two free throws with the lane cleared. Then Team A will be awarded the ball at the division line opposite the scorer’s table.

Why is contact by White #24 considered Intentional?
The current NFHS interpretation for contact above the shoulders stipulates that if a player moves his/her elbows faster than the torso is rotating in a normal pivot, at a minimum, the contact should be ruled an intentional foul. (2012-13 NFHS POE) In this play, the ball handler’s elbow is moving faster than the rest of his torso, which by this interpretation will need to be penalized with an intentional foul. Since the ruling is a double foul, the fouls would be considered to have occurred during a live ball, which will result in an intentional personal foul being charred to White #24.

Option #2: Personal Foul & Two Technical Fouls
The ball becomes dead when the whistle blows for the handchecking foul. Since the ball was dead when the elbow contact committed by the ball handler occurred, can this contact be ignored? Contact after the ball has become dead is incidental unless it is ruled intentional or flagrant. (4-19-1 note) Since the contact by the ball handler must be ruled intentional (by NFHS interpretation), and it occurred during a dead ball, an intentional technical foul must be charged to White #24. In reaction to this contact, Black #3 pushes his opponent and bats the ball away. This also would be considered an intentional technical foul.

Because none of the fouls are considered to have occurred at approximately the same time, each foul needs to be penalized in the order in which it occurred. (8-6)
The Penalties:
1. Charge Black #3 with a Personal foul: White #24 will be entitled to free throws if the bonus rule was in effect when this foul was charged. If this foul occurs before the 7th foul of the half, no free throws will be awarded. If the technical foul committed by Black #3 is the 7th foul of the half, it will not entitle White #24 to bonus free throws for the personal foul. If the Technical foul assessed to White #24 is his 5th foul. White#24 would be disqualified, and his substitute would attempt the free throws.
2. Charge White #24 with an Intentional Technical Foul: The team in the black jerseys should be awarded two free throws with the lane cleared.
3. Charge Black #3 with an Intentional Technical Foul: The team in the white jerseys should be awarded two free throws with the lane cleared. Then Team A will be awarded the ball at the division line opposite the scorer’s table.

Final Thought:When situations like this occur, the crew’s priority is to diffuse the situation and prevent it from escalating. Once things are settled, the crew should get together and make the necessary decisions to assess the proper penalties. The key to this play was to decide how to treat the initial contact between the two opponents. Once that decision is made, it will determine which of these two options is needed to assess the proper penalties.

Here is the breakdown of the IAABO members that commented on the video: One Personal Foul and Two Technical Fouls 35% (me included); Double Personal Foul and a Technical Foul 30%; One Personal Foul and One Double Technical Foul 25%; Double Personal Foul 6%; Personal Foul on Black #3 5%.