off ball contact

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Splute

I was watching 6th grade AAU practice last night and noticed the coach teaching his player to physically keep the offensive player out of the paint. Watching the defensive player you would have thought he was going against a football blocking dummy. He was pushing with forearms, shoulders, basically anything he could do to hold him out. How much contact do officials allow (if any) on the off ball contact? Surely this would not be allowed in a game.

Coaches can teach whatever they want. It's up to the officials to make the call. Off-ball contact is in the POE's almost every year, both NCAA and FED. Ball-watching is the major culprit in missing off-ball contact. This 6th grade coach knows he's going to get mostly inexperienced refs for his games and inexperienced refs tend to ball-watch. That's coach has learned from experience that his players can get away with off-ball rough play.

If you ref one of his games you know what to look for.

[Splute]

You bring up very good points BNR. In watching my son go from Park & Rec to this league, you would think they were stepping into the championships... But I think you nailed it with what the coach believes he can get away with. They do not start their first game until March so I have not seen them officiated yet.... just the Rec league.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Coaches can teach whatever they want. It's up to the officials to make the call. Off-ball contact is in the POE's almost every year, both NCAA and FED. Ball-watching is the major culprit in missing off-ball contact. This 6th grade coach knows he's going to get mostly inexperienced refs for his games and inexperienced refs tend to ball-watch. That's coach has learned from experience that his players can get away with off-ball rough play.

If you ref one of his games you know what to look for.

You make a great point here. One of my fellow officials is also a Middle School coach, and as a member of our association, he knows which officials he gets on his games tend to ball watch and which officials will call the off-ball contact. He coaches accordingly.

[JRutledge]

Just put air in the whistle. I do not care what they actually teach.

Peace

[SWMOzebra]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Coaches can teach whatever they want. This 6th grade coach knows he's going to get mostly inexperienced refs for his games and inexperienced refs tend to ball-watch.

Despite the fact that he's coaching his kids to play this way, I can virtually promise that the coach will squeal like a stuck pig if an official ever catches/calls one of his players doing what he's taught them to do.

I don't catch as much off-ball contact as I should in the L position, because I'm trying to be aware of a perimeter player driving into the paint, where the defense is positioned, etc...but I definitely call what I see, whether it's kid's rec, men's wreck, AAU or HS.

[Splute]

Ha, Of course! I am glad to hear that everyone will call this. I do not want the kids to believe this is proper basketball form or conduct. If they learn to play by the rules, they will be better players.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Splute

Ha, Of course! I am glad to hear that everyone will call this. I do not want the kids to believe this is proper basketball form or conduct. If they learn to play by the rules, they will be better players.

I had an Adult rec league game yesterday, over-40 I think. Older retired Army dude started the 2nd half after barely playing the first half. 2nd play of the half he's defending in the post when a cutter comes through and he sticks an elbow right in the cutter's ribs. I had a whistle and he turned around in shock. Then he smiled and said "good call Ref". He was testing the waters and luckily I was paying attention otherwise he would have done it a few more times and it probably would have escalated.

[ChrisSportsFan]

Those are fouls indeed.