OOB or NO CALL?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by rainmaker

I guess it depends on your definition of the word "deceit". I don't consider these plays deceit -- they aren't trying to fool anyone. They are merely breaking the rules without realizing they have done so. Nevertheless, the play described at the beginning of this thread is clearly along the same lines as the player who steps out of bounds to get around a screen. And the Fed wants it called as a T.

I also disagree with your concept that you shouldn't call anything that requires a rules clinic to explain. Are you serious? Aren't you the one that calls three T's for the kid standing on the other kid's back to dunk the ball? Do you seriously think that won't take some explaining?

First, lets address the three technical fouls on one play. As I have stated before this play occured during a summer tournament and one has a greater chance of getting struck by lightning in the middle of a thunderstorm than ever seeing this specific play in a real game. The game was a boys' 16U, the team was getting waxed and its coach and two other players on the team had already unsportsmanlike technical fouls. But I digress.

If my above play (c) does not fit the description of deceitful play, then I do not know what deceitful is.

But as I stated before, this is going to be a bang-bang play. A1 wants to avoid contact with B1. Lets assume that A1 is right handed and is dribbling down the court with his right hand and the sideline is to his right. The most natural direction for A1 is to move to avoid contact with B1 is probably to his right. If A1 were drbbling up the court with his right hand and the sideline were to his left, the most natural direction for A1 to move to avoid contact wiht B1 is probably to his right also.

In my officiating career, in any discussion that I have had about such a play "unauthorized" has always been used to describe a calculated move by the offending player to leave the court to gain an advantage as opposed to a spontaneous movement that is the result of play on the court.

It should be noted that the POE in this year's rules book talks about an offensive (it could be a defensive player too) going out-of-bounds to avoid a screen or an offensive player going out-of-bounds to avoid a defensive player.

A1 is dribbling the ball up the court against B1 and does a spin move that takes him out-of-bounds while his hand is not in contact with the ball and when A1 retouches the ball he is now inbounds. Does R9-S3 apply or does R1-S3-A3 apply? This play is a bang-banger. Was A1's intent to go out-of-bounds to avoid B1? I would think not, therefore R9-S3 fits the rules infraction.

A1 does not have the ball and is running down the court; he sees B1 and B2 standing shoulder-to-shoulder perpendicular to the sideline down the court setting a defensive screen along the sideline. A1 has to make a decision. If he goes around the screen to the out-of-bounds side of the screen rather that going to the inbounds side of the screen, he can get to his offensive spot on the court quicker. This is a very good case where R10-S3-A3 would apply.

The more spontaneous the play the more likely R9-S3 will apply and less likely R10-S3-A3 will apply. I guess the best advice I can give one, if asked, is to see the whole play, and more importantly, when an R10-S3-A3 situation occurs it will be very obvious.

MTD, Sr.


P.S., Juulie: Why do I detect that you do not want to discuss plays with me? MTD, Sr.