"The Tower Philosophy"

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by Jimgolf
I'm just saying that the assertion that officials would make more calls is false. If you tell the players you will call every hand contact, and you call every hand contact, they'll stop contacting with the hand.

With all due respect, Jim, that's nuts. If you call a foul every time someone's hand contacts an opponent, either everyone would foul out in the first quarter, or you'd have a few players left who tiptoe around on eggshells. Either way, you don't have basketball.

I gave you several examples of hand contact that legally occurs on routine plays. If we call the game your way, you eliminate screening from the game. Whether the screener holds his arms in front of his chest (totally legal) or in front of the family jewels (totally self-interest), his hands will contact the defender that he's screening.

Two guys going for a loose ball, one of them is bound to touch the other one. Foul?

I guess I agree with you about one thing. They'll stop contacting with the hand. But only b/c they'll all be fouled out.