Gaining control with your feet
 

I had a crazy situation in a High school Fall league game that made me scratch my head. Any help or interpretation is appreciated.

Point Guard makes it into the frontcourt and dribbles around the three-point arc. He loses control of the ball, falls to the ground, and there is a scrum to get it. The ball is loose at his feet so he grabs it with his feet. Brings the ball up to his chest, grabs it, makes a pass to his teammate from the floor. Is this legal?

How would you call this situtation? Is there any rationale in the Fed. rules that would describe this situation?

Peace,

This would be an illegal kick. A player cannot use their legs to control the ball.

Peace

Did the player intentionally contact the ball with any part of his leg? Yep. That's a kicking violation.

so what about this then?
 

I know this specific and minute, but what if a player uses both his hand and a leg to gain possession and brings it up to his off hand. By these definitions it's a kicking violation.

According to NFHS a kicking violation is an "intentional strike" at the ball. This seems in no way to be an intentional strike. It's a bit hard to call a kick when he doesn't kick it at all. He's just trying to regain possession.

Nit picky, I know, but it's always these weird situations that cause me to question.

If he intentionally moves his leg into the ball, it is a kicking violation. He has intentionally striken the ball with his leg. As JRut said, a player can not use his leg to control the ball.

strike
struck
was/has stricken

good job!

Hows this for interesting. I had a young man receiving a rolling ball near the end of the game. You know how they will sometimes inbound the ball along the floor and don't touch it till near half to keep the clock from starting. Anyway instead of bending over to pick up the ball he sticks his foot out and lets the ball roll up his leg into his hands, I call the violation and he stands there like a deer in headlights. Coach just put his hands on top of his head and started shaking it back and forth. No explanation necessary!

I could see that happening. Never have; but could. It is our first tendency to lift it with our feet. Too funny. I wish you had a picture of his face.... kinda like this :eek:

Interesting. I think I'd want an explanation if I was a coach and knew the rule. There was no intentional strike with the leg nor was there any attempt to control the ball with the leg. If I'm picturing this correctly, the kid just let the ball hit his leg and I'm not sure this was illegal.

He intentionally allowed the ball to strike his leg...just like if B1 put his leg in front of A1's bounce pass.

I'm sure we have all done this. You point your toe in front of the ball and it strikes it and rolls up the leg so it can be caught. Maybe you had to be there. All I know is it was done intentionally and it struck not only his foot but the leg as well and everyone in the gym besides the kid knew he messed up. I am pretty sure he was informed afterward.

If you were a coach and knew the rule, you wouldn't need an explanation.:)

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with the call. However, I am just musing if the "let it roll up the leg" scenario violates the spirit and intent of the rule. The only case plays I have ever seen are where the defense intentionally uses the leg to try to block a pass or when the defense "grabs" the ball with their legs or feet. Interesting play... not sure I'd have a whistle on it.

Z - have you ever picked up a ball only using your foot and leg, kinda "soccer style"? I'm guessing the ball didn't have enough speed to fully roll all the way up the kid's leg without some sort of flick with the ankle, or some other motion with the leg. It was just the kid being a little lazy and not bending over to pick up the ball with his hands.

I'm not sure I would've called it before this, but only because my thinking was like yours - it wasn't a defensive manuever. Now I'll be more aware of it. ;)

This is, btw, one of the reasons NCAA-W went away from putting the ball down at the spot of a throw-in during a TO - officials were doing things like this to pick up the ball, rather than just bending down and picking it up with their hands. The committee felt flicking the ball up with the foot didn't look "professional".

This is, btw, one of the reasons NCAA-W went away from putting the ball down at the spot of a throw-in during a TO - officials were doing things like this to pick up the ball, rather than just bending down and picking it up with their hands. The committee felt flicking the ball up with the foot didn't look "professional".[/quote]
I wonder how many of them busted their bums tripping on the ball while attempting this manuver? :p