Does anyone else feel the mechanics for the NFHS team control foul is unnecessarily complicated/confusing for fans and coaches to figure out?? My suggestion is to call the foul fist up and then point it toward the other basket. Similar to the player control foul without the hand behind the neck, Then point to the out of bounds spot. I believe it would reduce the confusion at the lower level games as to what was that call, why aren't we shooting free throws, ect. Just a thought what does everyone think?? I am new to the forum and officiating for four years.

One of the reasons I heard for putting the hand behind the head was to emphasize for all (players, coaches, spectators) that no free throws would be awarded for a team control foul.

The logic being everyone who sees that signal should associate it with no free throws.

Thanx
I didn't know about the roots of the hand to neck mechanic.

Maybe I am misunderstanding something from this post, but there is not "Team control" foul signal in NF. The mechanic procedure is to call the foul with hand up, signal the type of foul (block, push or hold), and then point in the direction you are going, then point to the spot you will be taking the ball out at. There is no "team control" signal as there is at the college level or similar to the PC control signal that is used in NF mechanics.

Do I think there needs to be a "team control" signal? Of course there needs to be such a signal. I think there is too much confusion with partners and participants what is going on. I have called several team control fouls this year and officials made a big production because they thought we were shooting FTs. I just think the NF is spending too much time trying to be different or not embracing certain mechanic from the college level because in my opinion Mary Struckoff and others on the committee are probably in conflict with whether to use Men's or Women's college mechanics.

Peace

Sorry for the confusion, but yes that was the intent of my post. To see I was the only one seeing the need for a
"Team Control Foul"

I don't think a signal makes any difference. I still hear fans yelling for FTs on PC fouls and we've been using a signal for years.

I usually raise the fist and point the direction of the team that's getting the ball.

I don't usually disagree with Tony, but I think a signal is necessary. I think it will help with communication with coaches, table and partners. The lack of any signal at all is, IMHO, awkward at best and confusing at worst.

I think too much emphasis is placed on rule book mechanics and not enough on clear signals that communicate. That being said, I also think this new rule will take some time to sink in with the coaches, players and fans no matter what signal is used.
In addition to a decrease in the usage of the voice to communicate, I think text-book mechanics are withering away in favor of dynamic displays after tooting the tooter :D I find it ironic that we bash the NBA for the players' actions but say nothing of the outlandish mechanics that come mostly from college. I'm all for individuality - I should be since I can't remember the last time I put my hand behind my head at the spot of the foul - but do not like to see cartoonish behavior that borders on the ridiculous.

In the state of GA, we adopted the mechanic intitally referenced (NCAA) for team control this year as well as number reporting using both hands. It works well and coaches, players, and yes even some fans have adapted. Next year, we will even experiment with the strong side rotation procedures as the NBA (lead rotates strong side as ball crosses division line).

"Outlandish"? "Cartoonish"? What sorts of signals are you talking about, Tom?

When we had our initial meetings in Texas, they wanted us to use the player control signal on all team control fouls. As far as I know, no one ever did it (because it was a totally STUPID idea). At least, I never saw it done.

Really, all that needs to be done is the foul call with the fist, then point in the direction of the new team control. Being ampidextrious helps you sell the call from all angles.

I hope that I can bring a different perspective to this thread.

The rule that the NCAA adopted in 2004-05 and the NFHS adopted in 2005-06 is not a new rule.

The NBCUSC (National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada; the predecessor to the NFHS and NCAA) had the team control until the 1977-78 or 1978-79 season (I am not sure which season and I don't feel like climbing up into the attic to confirm which season). I know that FIBA has had a team control foul since before 1970 and NAGWS (National Association of Women and Girls in Sports; the rules that the AIAW (women's college) used until the NCAA took over women's college sports had a team control foul rule because NAGWS rules were adopted from FIBA rules.

The mechanic used in FIBA and the mechanic that was used back in the ancient days was as follows, and I am going to paraphrase part of the first paragraph in Rut's post: The mechanic procedure is to call the foul with hand up, signal the type of foul (block, push or hold), then point in the direction of the team who is to receive the ensuing throw-in, and are going, then point to the spot of the throw-in.

If my memory is correct, we officials never had a problem with a team wanting to shoot free throws because everybody was familiar with the rule because it had been in place for years. Now we have a generation of coaches, players, fans, and etc., that have no knowledge of the ancient ways, and they get confused (See Tony's post about fans still yelling for free throws for player control fouls.

So what do I do when I have a team control foul in a NFHS game? I am a bad bad boy, I use the NCAA mechanic, everybody understands what the hand behind the head means, I hope.

MTD, Sr.

I went to a D-II conference championship game this afternoon in Minnesota. Twice on illegal screen calls, the calling official went behind his head instead of going with the punch to signify team control.

One of the guys works alot of D-1 as well, and he will be a clinician at two of the camps I attend this summer, so I will ask him about it then. I'm sure though that his answer will be something like, "It doesn't really matter what mechanic we used there, it clarified the situation for everyone."

Absolutely true for three guys doing the title game, but as someone trying to break in to that conference, I'll stick with the punch until told otherwise, because I believe it to be mechanically correct.

Trigger,

Are you talking about a D2 Women's game? The punch is only in the Women's game (authorized).

Peace

The punch is only mechanically correct in the women's game. NOT in NFHS games, not in NCAA-mens games as Rut alluded to.

I'm talking about any mechanic that is taken over the edge to put on a show or emphasize a call. I'm sure we will see many calls like this with the tournament coming up. The majority of NBA officials use calm mechanics.

The majority of NCAA officials also use calm mechanics. Like many things, some officials mimic what they see on TV. The NBA used to use exaggerated signals to sell a block or a good basket. We see some of that in the college ranks now. But I think the vast majority of college officials do not use outlandish or cartoonish signals.

We will agree to disagree on this one. I hate to name names but I will say that I've (in a group of officials) been told to do things one way only to see something different on national TV (by the same person). I've seen your mechanics and come tournament time, compare what you do (which is good) with some of the things we will see on TV. I don't think calm will be a good word to describe them.

No, it was a men's game. Thanks for correcting me; I forgot they were different!

In my area we use the player control signal only for player control fouls.

Other fouls which happen to be a team control foul still get the proper signal, (push,hold,block) and point the other way, usually with "that way" or similar to help convey direction. Sometimes the initial signal is foregone and the fist and direction is only used (usually simultaneously), but at the table the proper signal is displayed.

I don't care what fans think...but the only time I had to explain a situation was when a foul was called during a throw in and the coach wanted to know why we were shooting the 1 and 1, because she knew the rule (or rather "a" rule) had been changed but wasn't aware of the team control concept during a throw in for FED, which we all know is different than NCAA, which is what you see on TV.

I told her there is no team control during a throw in, she seemed a bit perplexed but didn't put up any argument.

Edited for spelling.