Low Post Action

[rwest]

This is my 2nd year officiating basketball. My biggest struggle and what I want to work on the most (at this point) is low post action. When the big guys are banging at each other, what do you consider too much? Both players are fighting for position. What do you look for in calling this foul? I've called it once during a game when I saw the player in front was forced to bend over at the waist.

Thanks!

[Ref Daddy]

SECTION 23 GUARDING
ART. 1 . . . Guarding is the act of legally placing the body in the path of an offensive opponent. There is no minimum distance required between the guard and opponent, but the maximum is 6 feet when closely guarded. Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided such player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent. A player who extends an arm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent is not considered to have a legal position if contact occurs.

ART. 2 . . . To obtain an initial legal guarding position:

a. The guard must have both feet touching the playing court.
b. The front of the guard's torso must be facing the opponent.

ART. 3 . . . After the initial legal guarding position is obtained:

a. The guard may have one or both feet on the playing court or be airborne, provided he/she has inbound status.
b. The guard is not required to continue facing the opponent.
c. The guard may move laterally or obliquely to maintain position, provided it is not toward the opponent when contact occurs.
d. The guard may raise hands or jump within his/her own vertical plane.
e. The guard may turn or duck to absorb the shock of imminent contact.

ART. 4 . . . Guarding an opponent with the ball or a stationary opponent without the ball:

a. No time or distance is required to obtain an initial legal position.
b. If the opponent with the ball is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal position before the opponent left the floor.

ART. 5 . . . Guarding a moving opponent without the ball:

a. Time and distance are factors required to obtain an initial legal position.
b. The guard must give the opponent the time and/or distance to avoid contact.
c. The distance need not be more than two strides.
d. If the opponent is airborne, the guard must have obtained legal position before the opponent left the floor.

[Ref Daddy]

ART. 7 . . . Double fouls:

a. A double personal foul is a situation in which two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately the same time.
b. A double technical foul is a situation in which two opponents commit technical fouls against each other at approximately the same time.

[Smitty]

Someone has a lot of time on their hands

I think what he's trying to say is: If one guy fouls the other guy, then you have a foul.

Easier said than done sometimes. Lots of jockeying for position in the low post. Look for someone being displaced. There's always the option of calling a double foul if they are both being naughty at the same time and you can't pick just one being more naughty than the other.

[Hartsy]

It worked wonders. I had seen two this year in Varsity games, and talked with the officials about them. I guess from that I learned where this is appropriate. I would not hesitate to do it again.

[M&M Guy]

Originally posted by Hartsy
It worked wonders. I had seen two this year in Varsity games, and talked with the officials about them. I guess from that I learned where this is appropriate. I would not hesitate to do it again.

Be careful - don't let calling a double foul become a crutch. In other words, get the first foul and don't wait until they're banging on each other. A lot of times it's one player bumps first, the other bumps back, and so on until they're doin' the Watusi together. If we got the first bump, we don't have the messy stuff later. But there certainly are times we need to address both players, and it takes care of the reply, "They're doin' it too!".

[Bart Tyson]

1st option; get the 1st foul. My preference is to call it on the Def. and then get it on the def at the other end. Calling a Double foul in HS, I think we go to the AP. So, this penalizes the OFF. twice.

[Smitty]

Originally posted by Bart Tyson
1st option; get the 1st foul. My preference is to call it on the Def. and then get it on the def at the other end. Calling a Double foul in HS, I think we go to the AP. So, this penalizes the OFF. twice.

How does it penalize the offense twice?

[Bart Tyson]

Sorry, I should have completed my thought. Foul on Off. player, counts toward the team total. and they loose the ball if the arrow points to the Def. Five or six years ago I had this in a close HS game. I concluded two things; 1) get the 1st foul. 2) don't call a double foul except in T-foul situations.

[zebraman]

Originally posted by Bart Tyson
Sorry, I should have completed my thought. Foul on Off. player, counts toward the team total. and they loose the ball if the arrow points to the Def. Five or six years ago I had this in a close HS game. I concluded two things; 1) get the 1st foul. 2) don't call a double foul except in T-foul situations.

I think that never calling a foul is as bad as calling a lot of double fouls. A double foul can be a great tool when used with discretion.

Z

[Smitty]

Originally posted by Bart Tyson
Sorry, I should have completed my thought. Foul on Off. player, counts toward the team total. and they loose the ball if the arrow points to the Def. Five or six years ago I had this in a close HS game. I concluded two things; 1) get the 1st foul. 2) don't call a double foul except in T-foul situations.

One could make the same argument from the other side. If the arrow points to the offense, the defense is penalized twice. In other words, it's about as fair a way to resolve that issue as there is. I suppose you could flip a coin. You could make a similar argument for a held ball. The defender makes a good play and half the time the offense gets to keep the ball. Tough luck. I have never called a double foul, but I think I should have in certain situations and I think I will before I'm done.

[Almost Always Right]

It seems like Rough Post Play is a POE every year from the NCAA and the NFHS. There were rules cited earlier in this thread.
Also there are a couple of hot buttons you need to be aware of: 2 out of is said to be automatic. i.e. 2 hands, a forearm and a knee, etc.
I have had good luck doing some preventive officiating in the past, such as the first couple of times down the court(even if they are not doing anything at that point) step in close to them in the L position and communicate with them so they know right off the bat that they have your crews attention. I try to say things like, "Watch the bows." or "Hands off" or "Use your feet" or "Don't dislodge". Of course if they choose not to listen then at least you have had your attention on them and can probably get that first one as opposed to having to go double.
A double foul can definitely get everyone's attention though.

[rainmaker]

The great thing about a double foul is that the coaches have nothing to say. They stare at you like you're speaking Mongolian, and then they shrug and go back to coaching the kids. I don't use them often, but I love them when they're right.

[JRutledge]

I do not think this was said. I think the first thing you do is talk to the players in the post. What that does is let the players know they are being watched and might save you from calling a foul. If they players do not listen, put air into the whistle.

Peace