game plat situation #2

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by BBarnaky
I will agree with those who answered a foul on the player lying on the floor. As an ex-player and now official myself common sense tells all fans, players, coaches, and officials that a player who makes an athletic play at the rim level and grabs a rebound is entitled to land with his feet firmly on the floor without having to hurdle or dodge a player lying sprawled out on the ground. I would have a foul here.

As far as the comments about going to camp and applying NCAA and NBA rules and philosophies to high school games, I have no comment for such low blows. However, there aren't enough good officials out there to begin with from middle school and on up the playing levels. Let's keep a big picture approach and not direct comments at people who do work in several higher leagues and high school at the same time. The game is in NEED of good officials and good people

I think that you had better go back and read NFHS R4-S27 and NCAA R4-S37 (incidental contact) and well as the NFHS and NCAA sections on prinicple of verticality and securing a legal position on the floor.

Your comments concerning athletic play is not supported by the rules. ONe of the fundamental requirements of the rules is that a player must complete the entire play without making illegal contact. That player who leaves the floor must do so within the rules of the game. If A1 jumps out of his cylinder of verticality and lands on a B1 who is legally occupying a spot on the floor, then the responsibility to avoid contact is on A1. Common sense does not have anything to do with this play. The fact that he had to dodge or hurdle a player who is legally occupying a space on the floor is of no consequence. Either A1 can complete the play without making illegal contact with B1 or he cannot.

With regard to common sense it is of no consequence. Just because coaches, players and fans think this is a foul on A1 and not B1 is no reason for you to not apply the rules correctly. One of my favorite examples of the ignorance of the rules by coaches, players and fans is that they know that traveling is a violation but they do not know what is traveling.

And I have nothing against officials who officiate at many levels. Every year I will officiate between 350 and 400 games and they will range from boys' and girls' jr. H.S. to H.S. varsity, men's and women's small college and jr. college, Special Olympics, CYO boys' and girls', men's rec., and AAU and YBOA regional and national tournaments. That means that I have to officiate within the requirements of the level of the play involved. More importantly, the rules for players and H.S. age and younger are written with them in mind, it is not good officiating to apply concepts of officiating games played at the adult level to games played at the youth level.