Using a double-foul to bait out

[Matt S.]

OK- Here's an idea I had after a terrible situation last night. As usual, I was doing my set of intramural games at USC, Thursday night is fraternity night, so the place goes wild. This is varisty caliber basketball, if not higher. Had to clear fans out earlier in the game for a bench-clearing brawl-that's another story. End of game, team A down by 1 with about 5 seconds. I'm trail, A1 drives towards B1-as A1 slightly lowers his shoulder to get around, B1 (who I thought was in legal guarding position) laterally shifted, causing A1 to trip over B1's foot. What did I call, you ask? I froze, and swallowed my whistle. Don't come down on me so hard! I know I blew it, but could I have called a double-foul in this situation to bail myself out, since there was no real was to determine which happened first?

[Bart Tyson]

Matt, thats a tough one all right. Generally tripping would be the call under this situation. But it still comes down to the legal guarding position. Just because one trips over ones foot doesn't necessarily make a foul. I don't see where you would call a double foul. You said A1 lowered shoulder to get around. did he lower shoulder into B1? If A1 did shouler into B1-then maybe a good NO Call.

[rleetham]

Good no call! It sounds as though A1 initiated the contact and never got head and shoulders past the defender. Anytime the dribbler initiates the contact and the defender has established clear garding position, a no call for minor contact or offensive charge for the collision.

[Brian]

I cant agree or disagree with this, not enough info, however I ussually go with the stance of the defender, meaning: If he has legal guarding position, and the distance between the feet is not exagerated then the ball carrier has just caused the contact. We can't call a foul just because someone drove over the guys foot. We know we will field some heat for this but that is a coaches job.

[Alaska Ref]

I would have to say that the teams in this situation must decide the out come! That is not to say you turn a blind eye to the play but in your discription of the play calling on player A or B would have bailed out ether, so sucking on the whistle was your best call at that point.

Good luck

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Don

[Bart Tyson]

rleetham, while it is a foul to lower shoulder, Team A down by one, has the ball. I have a slow whistle, I see the shoulder into B1, I see A1 trip, under 5 sec. I think i let the play go unless his shoulder hammered into B's chest and it is a nobrainer to everone in the building. You call a foul on A1 and Team A still has a loss.

[rleetham]

bart, matt said that the shoulder was slightly lowered. lowering the sholder is not a foul usless it causes contact as you described. i agree with you, the contact must be a no brainer to everyone in the place before i call a charge. as i said, i think the no call was best.

[Bart Tyson]

Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying.

[jackgil]

Matt -

I would have to agree it was a good no-call. If B1 had established a legal guarding position, it is NOT a foul to laterally move -- in fact this is good defense staying with their man all the way. An offensive player can trip over a players foot and it may not be the defender's fault. Make them earn it.

One final comment -- don't let the reaction of the fans to your call -- I'm assuming this was team A's fans --- influence your opinion as to whether you made the right call.

[Hawker]

I always like to have the players earn it when it gets down to crunch time. Make sure it's definitive one way or another. If the offense initiated contact, and it was significant then you can go with player control foul. If it was a definite trip, that caused the offense to fall, then call it on the defense. If it was too difficult to tell, then maybe holding the whistle was the best thing to do (even though you take heat for it).

The trip call is the ugliest situation in my mind as an official. You can always bail yourself out by calling it on the defense, without a lot of argument from anyone. But it's not always the correct call from a defensive standpoint. If there's less than 10 seconds in a game, let them earn it (it has to be clear cut) before calling anything.