Eyepoke

[rainmaker]

The only time I"ve ever seen a poke that was enough to stop a player, it happened in the midst of about 8 players going up for a rebound all at the same time. One player comes out of the pack with the hand over the eye. No way to call it. If it's clear that there was a swipe by a certain player, and there is clearly a real injury (as opposed to a fake), I'll call a foul, even if I didn't actually see the finger in the eye.

[Scrapper1]

At a camp I went to, a very high level D1 official told us, "In the last 4 minutes of the game, any 'meltdown' is a foul. Automatic. No kid is going to fake getting hit in the face in the last 4 minutes of a close game." His definition of a meltdown was a kid just stopping playing to hold a piece of his anatomy. Any time a kid just stops playing and grabs his eye, nose, groin, etc, it's because he was fouled. Call it.

In theory, I understand the desire NOT to call something that you didn't see. But in real life, the kid got fouled. So call it.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I have always ruled an inadvertent poke in the eye to not be a foul. I simply stop the game and give the player a moment or two to recover. Invariably the opponent is apologetic and the game continues nicely.

That's just what works for me.

What??

Maybe you were a big Moe Howard fan as a kid?

Or maybe you just didn't like Curly.



Nyuck nyuck nuck.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

What??

Maybe you were a big Moe Howard fan as a kid?

Or maybe you just didn't like Curly.



Nyuck nyuck nuck.

Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck....

[armymanjones]

If I don't see a push but see a man on the ground should I call it??? Why would anyone call something they don't see?

[mplagrow]

Originally Posted by armymanjones

If I don't see a push but see a man on the ground should I call it??? Why would anyone call something they don't see?

Welcome to the forum! As much as it pains me to say this, to some degree I agree with OS. I don't feel comfortable calling a foul I didn't see. And yes, I've seen coaches go nuts over an eyepoke, but I just tell 'em, do you want me to call what I SEE or what I THINK happened?

[Adam]

If I see the swipe and the reaction, I've seen the foul. If I'm straight-lined on a player running into another one, all I'm likely to see is the intial direction and the reaction. I may not actually see the contact that caused the fall.

No one is saying to call the foul if you don't see the swipe, only that if you don't literally see the finger hit the eye you can still call the foul.

[Johnny Ringo]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I have always ruled an inadvertent poke in the eye to not be a foul. I simply stop the game and give the player a moment or two to recover. Invariably the opponent is apologetic and the game continues nicely.

That's just what works for me.

NevadaRef said it best ... I feel this is the best way to handle this situation. However, if I see the inadvertent poke - I call the foul.

Just like if A1 is attempting a shot and B1 goes for the block and inadvertently makes body contact - Foul there. Of course, if I see it. If he missed the shot badly and crashes to the floor and I missed it because my view was blocked, I don't just assume he must have been fould and blow the whistle.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by mj

I had a situation last night in my game and am looking for input. I am C and have A1 with the ball right in front of me defended by B1. B1 swats at the ball and apparently pokes A1 in the eye which I do not see. A1 cradles the ball with one arm and covers his eye with his other hand then starts to pivot on his pivot foot in pain.

Do you call a late foul? Call an officials timeout for his injury? Play on? What are your thoughts?

If I recognize it's a poke quickly enough, it's a foul. If I don't see it until a few seconds later, I'll just stop the game.

If they fake me out over this, then good on them, I suppose.

[mick]

Originally Posted by mj
I had a situation last night in my game and am looking for input. I am C and have A1 with the ball right in front of me defended by B1. B1 swats at the ball and apparently pokes A1 in the eye which I do not see. A1 cradles the ball with one arm and covers his eye with his other hand then starts to pivot on his pivot foot in pain.

Do you call a late foul? Call an officials timeout for his injury? Play on? What are your thoughts?

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

If I recognize it's a poke quickly enough, it's a foul. If I don't see it until a few seconds later, I'll just stop the game.

I agree, Rich.
If I am watching a closely defended ballhandler and see a handswipe near the face, I will need to see the reflexive reaction of the head snapping away in order to justify the immediate foul. Absent that response, I will stop play and allow the player to recover or to be replaced.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by mick

I agree, Rich.
If I am watching a closely defended ballhandler and see a handswipe near the face, I will need to see the reflexive reaction of the head snapping away in order to justify the immediate foul. Absent that response, I will stop play and allow the player to recover or to be replaced.

Well, there you have it folks. If mick says it, it's right.

[mj]

Originally Posted by mick

I agree, Rich.
If I am watching a closely defended ballhandler and see a handswipe near the face, I will need to see the reflexive reaction of the head snapping away in order to justify the immediate foul. Absent that response, I will stop play and allow the player to recover or to be replaced.

I agree with both of you. Had I seen the swipe (not sure how I missed it actually) and contact, I would've had an immediate foul. Like I said previously, I stopped play to allow the player to recover. The coach did take him out after the stoppage of play.

[Old School]

I agree, Rich.
If I am watching a closely defended ballhandler and see a handswipe near the face, I will need to see the reflexive reaction of the head snapping away in order to justify the immediate foul. Absent that response, I will stop play and allow the player to recover or to be replaced.

Just remember, if you stop the clock, the player must be replaced. He's not staying in the game unless the coach buys a timeout to keep him in.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Old School

Just remember, if you stop the clock, the player must be replaced. He's not staying in the game unless the coach buys a timeout to keep him in.

Reference, please.

[Old School]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Reference, please.

Oh geeze Bob, okay, I will look it up. give me a minute.

Off the top, I thought that if you stopped the clock for injury, the player must be replaced. I will research it.