Silly Question...

[BillyMac]

The hand is considered part of the ball when the hand is in contact with the ball. This includes holding, dribbling, passing, or even during a shot attempt. Striking a ball handler or a shooter on that player's hand that is incidental to an attempt to play the ball is not a foul, no matter how loud it sounds or how much it hurts.

[DonInKansas]

This is really confusing to us baseball guys making the switch as well. You get "hands are not part of the bat" ingrained in your head, but hands are part of the ball....

[Johnny Ringo]

where does the hand stop and the wrist start? Is the area directly opposite your palm part of the hand as well ... I have never heard anyone define what the hand actually is ...

[Ref in PA]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ringo

where does the hand stop and the wrist start? Is the area directly opposite your palm part of the hand as well ... I have never heard anyone define what the hand actually is ...

You use your judgement. If you think the contact is too far up the wrist then you call the foul. The rule does not say if I contact the writst but have my pinky finger on the hand to rule the contact incidental.

So, in the OP, it may be the ref thought the contact was on the wrist and called it that way. Sometimes we make a bad call. Things seem one way to us as we see the play, but in reality it was not really that way. As refs we do our best to make the call in a timely fashion during the game. I think we do a good job for the most part. But calls have been missed and will continue to be missed. It is just the nature of the game.

[vbzebra]

And remember.....these plays and calls happen in the blink of an eye!

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ringo

where does the hand stop and the wrist start? Is the area directly opposite your palm part of the hand as well ... I have never heard anyone define what the hand actually is ...

The hand bone's connected to the wrist bone. The wrist bone's connected to the arm bone, etc. Those bones gonna get up and walk around. Let's hear the word of the Lord.

BillyMac has left the building.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The hand bone's connected to the wrist bone. The wrist bone's connected to the arm bone, etc. Those bones gonna get up and walk around. Let's hear the word of the Lord.

BillyMac has left the building.

The arm bones are composed of the radius (thumb side) and ulna (pinky side) for the forearm and the humerous in the upper arm. The humerous' connected to the shoulder, which I think is directly connected to the clavical.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

The arm bones are composed of the radius (thumb side) and ulna (pinky side) for the forearm and the humerous in the upper arm. The humerous' connected to the shoulder, which I think is directly connected to the clavical.

Let's hear the word of the Lord.

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

The arm bones are composed of the radius (thumb side) and ulna (pinky side) for the forearm and the humerous in the upper arm. The humerous' connected to the shoulder, which I think is directly connected to the clavical.

As you can see, the head of the humerous is actually connected to the Scapula by resting in the Glenoid. The connection is made by muscle, ligaments and tendons. The Clavical and the Acromion are the other bones that makes up the bones of the shoulder.

The shoulder is the most complicated joint in the body, as when you raise your arm above your head (say, when calling a foul ) the humerous may actually pull away slightly from the Glenoid. It's really pretty amazing. And it makes no sense.

[grunewar]

Where is this anatomy class going? The question was about the HAND! We're all the way up to the shoulder!!!

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

When you raise your arm above your head when calling a foul, it's really pretty amazing. And it makes no sense.

Sounds like you're channeling your inner coach

[Mark Dexter]

Originally Posted by Johnny Ringo

where does the hand stop and the wrist start? Is the area directly opposite your palm part of the hand as well ... I have never heard anyone define what the hand actually is ...

Well, being a joint, the wrist is comprised of the hand and the forearm.

Non wise-*** answer - you don't have an X-ray machine on the court, so go by your best judgement. If a coach wants to argue hand vs. arm, I'm not listening for more than about 1.3 seconds.