Last night, freshman game between crosstown rivals that I was observing. While the game is still in hand (later a 30 point win for Team B) in the first half, A1 is dribbling just over the division line and attempts to drive around B1. B1 bumps A1 with lower body and A1 steps on the division line. U1 calls BC violation. During the half, I asked U1 what happened and he said A1 barely stepped on the line. He also said the coach was unhappy because the contact appeared to cause the player to change course causing BC violation, but that U1 didn't think the contact was bad enough to call a foul.

This is not the first time I have seen this in a game. Shouldn't this have been a personal foul on B1? Why is this not called consistently?

[Edited by parkssa on Jan 23rd, 2001 at 10:23 AM]

If the contact caused B1 to step on the division line, then a foul should have been called.

NOTE: When describing plays, it's always better to use A to describe the offense and B to describe the defense. It's consistent with rulebooks and casebooks and makes it easier for everyone to understand.

I agree in most cases this is a foul. However, if this type of contact is not a foul by the basket, why should it be a foul at half court. Also, sometimes the def. beats the off. to the spot and the off. still trys to squeeze between the player and the line. Once legal guarding is established the def. can move and there can be contact and not a foul.

I hear you, Bart. But if the contact "clearly" causes a violation, seems to me one should call the foul. I know I've called fouls on light contact because it caused on OOB violation, where otherwise I would have passed on it. Of course, as you said, if the dribbler is trying to squeeze by in a narrow space . . . too bad for the dribbler, including on this division line play if he really didn't give himself the space he needed. One of those "you had to be there and see if for yourself" situations, I guess.

Because of what happened after the contact. It's not that it was at half-court, it's that the contact caused the player to step on the division line. Thus, the contact put the player at a disadvantage -- it's a foul.

The same would be true if the contact by the basket caused the player to step on the boundary line.

I agree with Bob.

The contact caused a disadvantage when he touched the line.

I agree, if this was somewhere else on the floor, and no other violations occcured, I would not call it. However, since it put the dribbler at a disadvantage, you have to call it.


Of course, I assume the defender did not have legal guarding position. If he did, I would call the violation, because I don't think there would have been enough contact to call a PC.

As usual Todd put it in prospective, you have to see it.