New's Flash: Billy Packer Just Got a Rules Interpretation Correct.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

With just 7 min. left in the Maryland/UConn game a Maryland player asked the official to not put the ball in play for a throw-in until he had tied his shoes. The official refused, and Billy Packer informed everybody that the official was correct. No wonder a winter snow storm is being predicted tonight and tomorrow for Ohio.

For those who are wondering what rule Billy was talking about. Until the 1963-64 season, the rules for H.S. and college basketball (Nat'l. Bkb. Comm. of the U.S. and Canada, the predecessor to the NFHS and NCAA Rules Comm.) allowed the game officials to stop the game or withhold the ball from play so that a player could tie his/her shoes. Starting with the 1963-64 season, the section of the rules that allowed this was deleted from the rule book, and in an editorial statement, the Rules Committee said that the officials could no longer stop the game or withhold the ball from play to allow a player to tie his/her shoes.

It made me feel great to see an official in a nationally televised NCAA tournament game enforce the rules. I have been telling officials for years, that the game cannot be stopped for such a thing. If the age group of the players are jr. H.S. age and up, it is the player's problem if he/she cannot keep his/her shoes tied. Shoes and shoelaces are not the same as eyeglasses, contacts, and earing aids. Shoelaces are not considered a safety hazard. It is a player's responsiblity to keep his/her shoes tied. It is a player's responsibility to keep his/her shoes on his/her feet. The only way that I would stop the game for a player whose shoe had come off is if the shoe posed a safety problem for the other players, i.e., the player left it out on the court to continue to play without his/her shoe and the shoe posed a safety problem for the other players.

Does that mean I never (my apologies to J. Dallas Shirley)stop the game for shoelaces? No. Just today in the Adult Men's Division III Championship game in the Ohio Special Olympics State Championships, I stopped the game after a team scored so that a player could tie his shoes. The level and skill of play of the players dictated that this was the logical thing to do.

[Bart Tyson]

I never stop the game, but if i have a dead ball (except after a made basket) I will hold the ball until they finish tieing their shoe. Now, please give me the rules reference that says i can't do this.

[Mlancaster]

Sorry Mark, but I beg to differ. Although I can appreciate the rules being enforced, there are times when commen sense must take over. I watched the game, but missed the play you are speaking of, so maybe I missd something. However, assuming that this was not an intentional play stopage, safety of the players comes first.
I am sure that I do not speak alone, but even tough I double tie my laces, I have had a shoe come untied numerous times in 13 years of officiating. I would have no problem holding up a throw-in so I could tie my shoe.
The last thing an offical wants is for a player to break a bone (or worse) simply because the offical did not give him or her 10 seconds to tie a shoe.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I do not have the 1963-64 rule book in front of me (yes, I really do have a copy of it) and unfortunately I do not have a copy of the 1962-63 rule book.

Prior to the 1963-64 season the rules (Rule 2, Officials) specifically allowed the officials to either stop the game or prevent the ball from being put into play to allow a player to tie his/her shoelaces. The rules deletion was made starting with the 1963-64 season. The Rules Editor made an editorial comment concerning this deletion. The comment specifically said the the deletion was made to prevent officials from either stopping the game or preventing the ball from being put into play to allow a player to tie his/her shoelaces.

The fact that it was once in the rules and then was deleted along with an editorial comment regarding the deletion is the reason that one will not find the rules reference in the rules book. The only reference to not allowing officials to stop play or withhold the ball from play with regard to a player's shoelaces in the NFHS/NCAA rules books is in the NFHS Basketball Handbook (go the section of the book that gives a year-by-year synopsis of the rules changes).

Contrary to popular belief, an untied shoe is not a safety hazard. A player is responsible for his equipment. If that player wants to tie his shoe there is nothing in the rules that says he cannot tie his shoe while the game is being played. To stop the game or withhold the ball from play for even ten seconds gives a player's team an unfair advantage that the rules do not want the team to have. And stopping the game so that a player can tie his shoe is not the same as an official stopping a game to tie his shoe.

Play: Team A likes to fast break every chance it can. Team B likes to press every chance it can. B1 scores, and B2 wants to tie his shoe. The official stops the game so the B2 can tie his shoe. Team A loses its chance to start a fast break before Team B can set up its press defense, and Team B gets to set up its press defense. This is the type of advantage by Team B that the Rules Committee wanted to prevent.

I am going to take a lot of flak for what I am about to say, but I cannot remember ever having one of my shoes come untied while officiating, and this is my 31st year officiating basketball. I am not going to say that a player's shoes or an official's shoes should never come untied during a game, but when shoes are tied properly, they should not come untied. My sons are 9 and 12 and have been playing basketball since they were five years old, and cannot remember the last time one of their shoes came untied during a game and I have seen all of their games this season.

The fact of the matter, is that the Rules Committee does not want officials to stop the game to allow the player to tie his/her shoe. There is nothing difficult about enforcing the rule.

[Dan_ref]

Yeah right. In the same game I heard this exchange between
Packer & his cohort:

Cohort: "Whoa, that was a high dribble! Close one!"
Packer: "Yeah but he had hand on ball, good no call."

Packer and 99% of announcers have no idea what they're
talking about. Even a blind squirrel finds the occasional
acorn.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Dan_ref
Yeah right. In the same game I heard this exchange between
Packer & his cohort:

Cohort: "Whoa, that was a high dribble! Close one!"
Packer: "Yeah but he had hand on ball, good no call."

Packer and 99% of announcers have no idea what they're
talking about. Even a blind squirrel finds the occasional
acorn.

Me finding the wonderful woman I married proves the blind squirrel theory.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Me finding the wonderful woman I married proves the blind squirrel theory.

I would have to say that she's the one who found the nut.
(Sorry, too easy! )

[Bart Tyson]

Mark, I never looked at an untied shoe as a safty issue. And i agree stopping the game is unfair to the opponent. However, if the game is already stopped then i think we should allow the player to tie the shoe. Do we hold up the game to instruct a player to tuck in a shirt?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Bart Tyson
Mark, I never looked at an untied shoe as a safty issue. And i agree stopping the game is unfair to the opponent. However, if the game is already stopped then i think we should allow the player to tie the shoe. Do we hold up the game to instruct a player to tuck in a shirt?

A player who is not wearing his uniform correctly and an untied shoe are not even apples and oranges.

A player, who is not wearing his/her uniform correctly, is to be placed at the first stopped clock dead ball situation. I never hold up the game to instruct a player to wear his uniform correctly. If I have made a decision to tell a player to wear his uniform correctly, I do it without delaying the ball being put into play, and if the player has to run down the court trying to tuck his shirt into his shorts while trying to play basketball that is his problem.

Officials have to stop making excuses for not following the rules or for players not following the rules. If an official thinks that he should withhold the ball from play so that a player can adjust his uniform then that player should be replaced per the uniform rule.

[devdog69]

Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
[B
Officials have to stop making excuses for not following the rules or for players not following the rules. If an official thinks that he should withhold the ball from play so that a player can adjust his uniform then that player should be replaced per the uniform rule. [/B]

I totally agree, let's throw the entire common sense thing out the darn window. I don't know what those NIT officials were thinking, using common sense and setting aside the rules, sheesh. I am going to look at that thread again and see who the bozo's were who defended their actions. ah wait a sec....hmmmmm....

[ChuckElias]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by devdog69

I am going to look at that thread again and see who the bozo's were who defended their actions. ah wait a sec....hmmmmm....

All I can say is. . .ROFLMAO!!!!

Chuck

[rockyroad]

Ok Chuck - it was a long weekend. What does ROFLMAO stand for??

[BktBallRef]

Rolling on the floor, laughing my a$$ off!

[rockyroad]

Got it...thanks Tony!

[Mark Padgett]

Last year, coming out of a timeout for free throws, I noticed two kids had their shoes untied. Of course, they had the entire timeout to tie them, but also of course, they are just teenagers, so there's your answer.

Anyway, I told them to tie them and, as I usually do in that situation, told everyone else to "check your shoes".

One kid looked down and said, "Yep, they're there all right."

To this day, I'm still not sure if he was kidding.