Foul in a Group

[ReadyToRef]

First year ref doing middle school games. Common scene: A1 shoots and everybody goes for the rebound. There's always 6-7 people under the basket with arms raised trying to get the ball or one gets the ball and reshoots. Contact everywhere but nothing obvious and no way to tell who's fouling who. Coach and fans, of course, want a foul called. What do you do in this situation?

[WI REF]

Ready; If you feel that there was enough contact during the rebound or put back shot to warrant a foul call, call it. Usually in this type of situation you could call a foul every time down the court. Especially at that level of play. Just remember that the fans and coaches aren't officiating the game- YOU ARE!! You need to try and make sure that you have good vision of the play and see what really happened in order to make that call. Sometimes sliding back away from the end line will give you a better perspective and view of the play underneath the basket. It's not fair to the players to just pick someone to call
the foul on. It can be a tough call, but you probably won't get alot of flack if you decide to make one either way. Remember that most coaches and fans are watching the ball, not the players.
Good Luck, it gets easier with experience.....

[RecRef]

Yes, the old scrum under the basket call. In this type of situation, the concept of Advantage/Disadvantage becomes most important. Yes there is contact but is that contact putting anyone at a disadvantage? Also, never call what you can’t see.

As for the coaches and the fans....

[Mark Padgett]

Call the first foul you see. Then, since the ball is dead, the rest of the contact isn't a foul unless it's intentional or flagrant. The explanation you can use with the coaches - you're just following the rules.

[daves]

Originally posted by RecRef
Yes, the old scrum under the basket call. In this type of situation, the concept of Advantage/Disadvantage becomes most important. Yes there is contact but is that contact putting anyone at a disadvantage? Also, never call what you can’t see.

As for the coaches and the fans....

Speaking of that, does anyone every make the 'audible' call? That's the one where you hear a loud slap on a defensive play for the ball. You didn't see the slap but you know there was skin on skin contact. The sound of a hand slapping a ball(hollow) is diferrent than hand on arm(solid). I have to admit that I have called this before but faked my way through it by pretending to have seen the slap. Any thoughts?

[RecRef]

Originally posted by daves

Speaking of that, does anyone every make the 'audible' call? Any thoughts?
[/B]

If I am the 1st base ump or it is a forced play at 3rd I’ll look at the bag and wait for the sound of the ball hitting the glove. Look up to see if the ball is still is in the glove and then call the runner out.

Other than that, I never go by sound.


[Edited by RecRef on Jan 29th, 2002 at 09:45 AM]

[Bart Tyson]

ReadyToRef, when the player finally gets the ball, watch the Def. player. look for an illegal act from the Def. player. i.e. hand slaps the arm of the shooter.
daves, hand part of the ball foul-? I was working an game once when the coach and I heard skin. no call, OOB. Coach ask about it and i said hand part of ball.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by daves
Speaking of that, does anyone every make the 'audible' call? That's the one where you hear a loud slap on a defensive play for the ball. You didn't see the slap but you know there was skin on skin contact.

Don't do this. You will find yourself calling fouls when the defensive player claps his hands together to try to disrupt the shooter.

[daves]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Don't do this. You will find yourself calling fouls when the defensive player claps his hands together to try to disrupt the shooter.

I try no to get in the habit of doing this but once in a while one slips out. I realize you can get into trouble with this call. You are right that a player can slap his own arm or hand and make it appear a foul. And there is the hand part of the ball issue. The hand is only part of the ball when it is touching the ball.