Block or Charge? Non-torso contact

[ilyazhito]

Originally Posted by Raymond

What causes the officials being fooled into calling some of these blocks is the defender flopping from the minimal contact. We have offensive players that are spinning away from the defender or changing directions and there is minimal contact to the shoulder and the defender throws himself backward like they've been hit by Ronnie Lott. Since we know the contact should not have created that reaction, the defense loses the benefit of the doubt.

I've seen a lot of plays on video this season where players embellishing contact actually works against them. Had a game this season where we twice missed illegal by a defender into the legs of a ballhandler because the ballhandler threw his head back distracting our concentration from the point of contact.

I had a play last week where a defender bumps a ballhandler from behind and I call a foul. I look at the video and the contact was incidental, but because the defender threw his head back like it was a big collision, I thought the contact was more severe than it actually was.

I agree. That's why a flop warning in high school basketball is overdue. It has eliminated much of the tomfoolery in men's college games around flopping, does not cost anything, and has a clear progression of penalties. If officials are willing to use the official flop warning early and often, teams will get the message.