Play from IHSAA Sectionals...

[Coltdoggs]

Pulled this from my local paper's website messageboard...found the conversation interesting and got me disecting the play...the topic was actually about a Purdue recruit DJ Byrd and it turned into some "refs were horrible" and then this go posted so I thought I'd bring it here for some discussion...

One of the guys stated...

The play at the end of the game was really messed up. NM scored with 5.2 seconds left in the game and had no time outs, so a NM player knocked the ball away when it went thru the basket and it went high in the air against the back wall and one of the refs blew his whistle and STOPPED the clock with 2.2 seconds left (this should of been a T for delay of game) or they should of let the clock run out since Danville did not have to throw the ball in. Danville then throw the ball away on the sideline with no one touching it and NM get's the ball under their basket and shoots a 3 point shot to win the game. Thank goodness Byrd missed because this would of been the biggest robbery I have ever witnessed.

I responded to the poster with this...

Wasn't at the game, but chiming in anyhow...

If this was the first time NM did this after a made basket, the ref did exactly what he should have done. Stop play, issue delay warning. It's not an automatic T....If they had an earlier delay warning, then yes this one should have been a T. Sounds like it was the first one.

As for the ball going OOB from endline to sideline and not touching a player on the floor...Correct again...ball goes back to original throw in location. He could have thrown it the length of the court and it go OOB on the opposite baseline and it would have come all the way back.

He then stated....

Time would of run out with Danville not having to throw the ball in. You can't let a team gain a advantage by stopping the clock in this situation. The right thing to do would just let the clock run out.


To which I replied...
I'm not saying that it shouldn't be handled that way with only 5.2 left...that's actually pretty good game management that a ref should take into account and IMO knowing that the team that is up at this juncture could use up a few seconds before actually taking control of the ball under 5 seconds and then not have to inbound it....

I don't know when the Danville player got control of the ball OOB or when the official started his 5 second count...I can say that it generally takes 2-3 seconds, sometimes more.....You said he scored with 5.2 and the subsequent whistle for delay was at 2.2...seems to me that whistle should have happened sooner or immediately when the ball was slapped which IMO would have to have been under 5 seconds...sounds as if his action caused the ball to bounce around...

What I am saying though is that players are not supposed to strike the ball as it comes through the net and the official has the obligation to stop the clock and issue a delay warning if they deem it deliberate or if the action causes the ball to go wild (as it may have done in this play)

Sounds to me like a smart play by the Danville kid trying to get them to inbound so they could steal or foul...

How bout this scenario....We could flip the teams and it's the team that is down needing to inbound and the delay violation occurs allowing the team ahead to set up a full court press...another advantage gained...

See how much fun officiating and disecting plays can be....Again, I like your thinking but I'd have to have seen everything transpire to give a better interp of it. Only the ref that whislted it can tell us for sure...


So...Your thoughts as you disect this one...