From NFHS website:

All Team-Control Fouls Penalized by Throw-In


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Struckhoff

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 28, 2005) —As a result of a new rule implemented at the April 17-18 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Basketball Rules Committee meeting, the penalty for a team-control foul will be a throw-in in all cases. The team-control foul rule and three other changes made by the committee were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The addition of Rule 4-19-7 and revision of Rule 7-5-5 establishes the definition of a team-control foul and now makes the penalty consistent with a player-control foul. With these revisions, the enforcement by officials is simplified and it is anticipated that the length of delays in games will be shortened.

“This change makes enforcement of the rule easier for officials,” said Larry Boucher, assistant commissioner of Kentucky High School Athletic Association and chairman of the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee. “Under the present rule, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether a player in control has released the ball on a pass or interrupted dribble before the player charges. It is equally difficult to determine whether a player has received a pass before the player charges. This change now makes the penalty consistent for a player-control foul and a team-control foul.”

Revisions to Rules 7-5-9 and 7-5-10 change the penalty for a double personal, double technical and simultaneous fouls from an alternating possession throw-in to resuming play from the point at which it was interrupted.

According to Boucher, no team should benefit from the act. The fouls will be charged to the players of each team and the ball will be put back in play. This change may increase the likelihood that double fouls will be called more often when warranted.

In an effort to increase the likelihood of the infraction being called and to eliminate a tremendous advantage, Rule 9-3-2 was added. The rule states that players leaving the court for unauthorized reasons will be charged with a violation instead of a technical foul, which was the former penalty. “We want to stress that the game of basketball is to be played within the lines,” said Mary Struckhoff, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee. “This will be a deterrent against players leaving the court and also easier to enforce for officials.”

Rule 3-4-15 prohibits a team member from removing his or her uniform within the confines of the playing area. According to Struckhoff, players removing their uniforms to show disgust is becoming an increasingly popular trend.

Previously, there was no rule that specifically addressed players removing their jerseys. With the addition of this rule, the act will be penalized with a technical foul.

In addition to the rules changes each year, the committee identifies certain aspects of the game that need special attention that are deemed Points of Emphasis. This year’s Points of Emphasis focused on three themes: unsporting conduct, free throws and intentional fouls.

Basketball is the most popular sport in girls high school athletics, with 457,986 participants in 17,061 schools, according to the 2003-04 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. In terms of participation, it is the second-most popular sport for boys, with 544,811 participants, and it ranks first with 17,389 schools offering programs.

OUTSTANDING !!! I whacked 3 kids for this this past season

I am waiting for the official that is going to give a T for a player that is just changing their jersey and not reacting to an official.

Peace

That's what worries me as well - I'm hoping they clear that up in the pre-season meetings. I'm sure the intent of the rule is to address the taunting and "look at me" aspect, but I can see major confusion with some lower level officials who will follow the rule to the letter.

However, if Brandy Chastain were to do it again I'm not sure I would give a T for that... ;)

There is a specific case for allowing players to change jerseys without penalty in case of a torn jersey or having blood on it. I don't foresee a problem.

Z

I am not talking about changing a jersey for blood or repair reasons. :rolleyes:

Peace

Is this related to "shirt popping" that we saw so much in this years NCAA Tourney?

Why would a player need to change his jersey on the "confines of the playing court"? Doesn't this mean the inbounds area? Can't the player change on the bench? Or, here's a novel idea ... How about changing in the locker room?

I just saw the real rule. Sorry. The paper got the rule wrong. What a surprise!

3-4-15, 10-3-7h New, 10-4-1i New:
Prohibits a team member from removing his/her jersey and/or pants/skirt within the visual confines of the playing area. The penalty is a technical foul.

Newer mind. (I've heard that somewhere before.)

[Edited by Jimgolf on Apr 29th, 2005 at 01:04 PM]

I've never seen a player pull their jersey off other than for blood or repair or else for the "technical foul" reason. What else is there? Maybe I don't get out enough.

Z

Where I am, I believe pulling the jersey out in disgust on the floor was a POE a couple of years ago as related to sportsmanhip? I know I've thrown a T for this very thing and I heard a local team lost a game because a player did this. Does anyone remember this being discussed at meetings last year?

I have seen players take jerseys off because they were removing undershirts that did not comply with the rules. Some official out there will try to make a player go to the locker room or T them up. Mark my words on this. Someone will post the very question here or you will hear about someone will call a T outside of what the rule was made for. Unless of course they clarify this further and still someone will go looking for s##t and still call this. Or at the very least some coach will get upset at an official for not calling a T. I will not likely happen at the varsity level, but I can easily see this called at the lower levels, where the jerseys are many times "warm up" style jerseys and you can flip the uniforms from one color to another.

I feel the same way about Rule 9-3-2 as well. There will be people calling all kinds of violations if the NF Committee does not clarify all the situations they want this to be applied and not applied.

Peace

I haven't been in this business for a long time (4+ years), but please don't tell me that there are that many people walking around wearing ref shirts that lack the common sense to realize the difference between flipping shirts to change colors and an unsporting act like a McCants. Goodness, what have I gotten myself into?!?!?!?

No seriously though, I think most people with one iota of common sense know when the player is reacting to something. Most times when I've seen this, it was because they were being removed from the game and didn't like it or if they got a call or didn't get a call. I like the added pressure on the kids to "keep their clothes on and play the game".

Fortunately, my association emphasizes common sense and I can't envision those calls happening locally. But I get your point... I have met rulebook refs who look for trouble before. Calling a T on a kid for removing an undershirt would be an all-time stretch though that would be worthy of a hall of shame officiating award. :eek:

Z

An association can emphasize all they want to, that does not mean some newer or rulebook official will not come up with a misapplication of a rule because "they read it that way." I do not care what your (or my) association tries to convey to their officials you cannot tell me everyone follows everything your group says. I also work with a lot of people that are not in a group I belong. It is not the people in my association I am worried about or even in my area. I am worried about some guy that works a game somewhere far away and I will have some coach ask me, "Does the rule say that when a player........" Then I have to roll my eyes and say to that coach, "He did what?" It happens every year and this rule was never involved.

Peace

[Edited by JRutledge on Apr 30th, 2005 at 07:53 PM]