Last week I went to camp and we learned about some of the new rules and editoral revisions. One of the deals with off ball calls. The statement from the NFHS says that they clarified that continous motion applies to the shooter when any defensive player fouls any offensive player. Now, I am not likeing the rule or not fully understanding. In looking at it on film, we missed it. I felt good about it on the floor though. Here is the play. B2 fouls a2 near a1. As the T, I take my eyes off a1 as the foul happens and blow the whistle. Everyone starts yelling about the shot. Since the off ball call is near the center of the court, C also has a call so I let him take it. Before I let him report I ask if he saw the shot. He said no. He reports. I then go ask L if he saw the shot and he said he did. I then ask if he had shot the ball before the foul. He said he was in the act of shooting so I go ahead and flush the basket. Looking at it on film, The foul happens well before the shot. But the whistles blow, while A1 is in the act. Right, wrong, or just glad it happened at camp and not in a game to decide a district championship?

Well, the eye in the sky never lies. Foul is before the shot. Be glad it happened in camp.

Do you have a reference?
 

Do you have any place where this is listed? I have not seen this anywhere.

Peace

Re: Do you have a reference?
 

Jeff, it's a clarification/editorial change of NFHS rule 4-11-1. The clarification is that "continuous motion applies to a try or taps to field goals and free throws, where there is a foul by any defensive player, not just a foul on the shooter". Iow, in the play above, if A1 had started his shooting motion when B2 fouled A2, then you would count the basket if it went.

Thanks JR.

I was not aware of the change.

Peace

Is this actually a change? Isn't that always the way continuous motion was interpreted? I'm pretty sure we've had this conversation before.

A clarification is not a change - this is nothing new. I guess NFHS felt that a lot of officials did not understand the rule (and I've worked with a few of them who did not). When calling an off-ball foul, it's generally a good idea to take a peek at where the ball is before sounding the whistle. A slow whistle on on off-ball call is not a bad thing.

For example, A2 and B2 are in the post and you decide to call a push on B2. A quick look to notice that A1 is in the motion of shooting and you can wait until the ball is in the air before you blow your whistle which will make it easier on everyone. Bucket is good and the foul is on B2. Team A gets the ball out of bounds if we're not in bonus yet.

Z

It sounds like a change to me. In the Casebook (last years) they only talk about the shooter being in the act of shooting. They are really unclear as to who is being fouled. <b>Look at 6.7 Comment.</b>

I can see why it would be confusing. All they talk about is A1 shooting and B fouling. They kind of leave out that B could foul anyone. I always interpreted that as B fouling A1 in their example. That also seems like a hard thing to judge as well. But if that is the rule, that is the rule. You still can do what you have always done, because the play is not dead just because you blow the whistle.

Peace

Z is right that this isn't a rule change, but a clarification of an existing rule. A slow whistle might cut out a few arguments, but it isn't really germane when it comes to the way that the rule is administered. If the shooter has started his shooting motion when any defender commits a foul, you just let him complete the motion, and count the basket if it goes. It doesn't really matter whether the ball is in the air, or not. I just wanted to clarify that point for any new officials reading this.

The new language of R4-11-1 is: <i>"Continuous motion applies to a try or tap for field goals and free throws, but it has no significance unless there is a foul by any defensive player during the interval which begins when the habitual throwing motion starts a try or with the touching on a tap and ends when the ball is clearly in flight"</i>.

Agree....this is not change. I've been calling it this way since I began reffing...and so has everyone I know of.

Clarifications are <em>usually</em> added becuase a large enough number of people in some areas are calling something incorrectly.

Occassionally, the committe pushes a clarification through that directly contraticts anything in the current rules (4-23 and defender touching OOB vs LGP)

They straightened the language out on this one also this year. Rule 4-23-3(a) has been changed to <i>"After the initial guarding position is obtained, the guard may have one or both feet ON the playing court or be airborne , provided he/she has INBOUND status"</i>. There's no contradiction anymore in the way the FED wants it called.