Had a player on defense with her back to me the other night. At the time, the player on offense, who was in front of her, was going for the ball. I see the girl on offense get stopped in her tracks. When she leans forward and almost falls, things open up and I see the offensive player's jersey is being held tight by the girl on defense.

I blow the whistle and call an intentional foul. Her coach starts whining about it being "just a hold" and their spectators go wild with boos and taunts.

Would anyone else have called this "just a hold"?

Thanks.

Yup, an intentional hold.

Good call imo.

I had a jersey pull for an intentional a couple games ago.

The spirit of the game wasn't to grab someone's jersey. "Just a hold" is when you have a play on the ball and/or player and have some incidental contact.

Good call...now don't forget to T the coach, too... ;)

pforeferee,
I agree that a grabbed jersey can meet the description of an intentional foul (ie., away from the ball, no play on ball, neutralize an obvious advantage), but many fouls meet that criteria.

Some holds, pushes, blocks (screens), handchecks and hooks have those same characteristics. The fouler meant to perform those illegal actions. They are neither accidental, nor incidental.

But for me, I need to see, feel, and/or smell an additional pre-qualification, that is <B>a total disregard for obtaining another foul</B>.

An intentional foul, for me, requires a mental set, a physical movement, where the player is <B>specifically indifferent to being caught</B> in the act of fouling.
The intentional foul is not subtle, is not accidental, is not clever.

In your situation, I have a "Hold".
mick

Definitely an intentional foul.
 

I've called it both ways, and -- since I didn't see it -- I'll support whichever way you call it.

How long have you been going both ways, Chuck? :P

You guys are hurting my head. I've called two "X"'s this year. Both were plays where the defender made no play on the ball.

1. Push in the back on a lay up.

2. Shove on a trap. (The defender just ran over and shoved the kid with the ball probably cause his Team was down by 20.)

But on the described play......I've always called that a simple "HOLD"? It's done in the context of playing defense? Granted it wasn't subtle but.....

I guess it does qualify as an "X"??? Good Post.

JCrow,

<LI> <I>"When she leans forward and almost falls, things open up and I see the offensive player's jersey is being held tight by the girl on defense."</I>

What I am seeing [in the sitch] is that the *shirt grab* was subtle enough to go unseen until the offensive player moved. :cool:
mick

Mick,

I've unintentionally learned something today. As my father use to say, "A strong back is a terrible thing waste. Kid, go shovel the driveway."

:)