The Official Forum - reffing the screens

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The "elbows out" thing on screens is interesting. Obviously, no player wants to run into an elbow. The unfortunate thing is that unless there is contact, I can't call a foul. I wish that coaches wouldn't teach their players to set screens this way, but as the old saying goes, "if horses were wishes, beggars would ride."

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Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark Dexter

Should I take this, or should I wait for Gendarme Grammaire? [/B]

Shouldn't that be <I>M. Gendarme de Grammaire</i>? [/B][/QUOTE]

Non. C'est Chuck, si qu'il est Mme. Gendarme de Grammaire.

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Originally posted by SeanFitzRef
I've heard this statement a lot form coaches: " S/He put the elbows out on the screen and almost hit my kid!! That's a foul!"

An illegal motion isn't always a foul. In cases like this, I have stated to the coach that since no contact was made, there is no foul to call. I also make a point to warn the offending playr to keep arms/elbows down. If it happens again, make sure there is contact first, then get the illegal screen. I always report it as a block to the table, and I guess that's right because no evaluator has ever told me to change.

Well, blocking is defined as "illegal personal contact which impedes the progress of an opponent with or without the ball."

If an arm, shoulder, leg, hip, etc. is extended into an opponent's path, and there's a foul, I call it a block. In fact, most illegal screens that I've seen either are blocks or are reported as such.