Foul or no call?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Tom M.
This situation occurred at a women's college game on Saturday. A1 on offense recieves a dump down pass in the low post. The defender, B1, is off balance and out of position. As A1, now with the ball, turns her shoulders and arms to make her normal offensive move to the basket she strikes B1 in the face with her elbow/arm. The contact is hard and A1 continues and lays the ball in. B1 is momentarily stunned but moves up the floor as play continues.

I was in the lead postion and saw the play clearly and had it as a "no call". The defender was clearly out of postion and off balance. I felt I could not reward the defense with a foul. The contact was not intentional nor did A1 swing her elbows.

After the game my partner said he saw the same thing and said he came close to calling a foul but didn't because it a 20 point game at the time with Team A losing. But he felt it was a player control foul. Comments.

I guess I am having trouble picturing this play. I need more information because.

1) Please describe how B1 was off balance.

2) How was B1 out of position?

3) Had B1 already established a legal guarding position against A1 prior to A1's pivot toward the basket?

4) If B1 had established a legal guarding position against A1, had B1 lost that legal guarding position before A1's pivto toward the basket?

The reason I am asking these questions is because it seems that B1 was directly between the basket and A1 and had established a legal guarding position against A1. When A1 pivoted toward the basket B1 was still between A1 and the basket and therefore was still maintaining her legal guarding position. If B1 was still maintaing her legal guarding position, then she still is protected against illegal contact by A1.