No call on contact OOB?
 

I do play by play for high school football and baseball and try to keep myself up on the rules of both. I produce the radio broadcasts of a D-1 school for football and basketball, so I am not as knowledgable on those rules as I don't have to talk about them on the radio.

So I need some help on a situation yesterday. Loose ball and players from both teams went for it. B1 gets it but his momentum made him step OOB. A1 is still two steps away at the whistle but takes those two steps and ran into B1. B's HC complains to the official and the official plainly says "Contact was made after your man stepped out of bounds. No foul."

This wasn't incidental contact, but pretty solid contact. I've seen similar hits OOB in football that drew 15 yard penalties. No forearms or anything like that, but a good shoulder to shoulder hit.

Probably HTBT and I have no video of it. But what is the rule on contact OOB in an NCAA game?

The fact that the contact was out of bounds is not the significant part. The fact that B1 going out with the ball caused it to be dead is. Apparently the official thought the contact was not intentional or flagrant, so, no foul.

The comments like you have just made are the reason commentators on radio and TV drive officials crazy. ;)

For one solid contact has nothing to do with contact being incidental or not. Contact can be severe and not be a foul based on the wording of the rules. Contact must create some kind of advantage for the person causing the contact and put the player contacted at some disadvantage or affect their normal movement as described in the this situation. So the solidness of the contact is not a factor at all.

Finally the contact you are describing was after a dead ball. Like said, if the ball is dead, the contact must be intentional or flagrant (by rule) to be a foul. If it is deemed neither, then you have incidental contact.

For the record, the same rule applies at the NCAA level as it does for the NF level. I cannot speak for NBA or WNBA rules.

Peace

You didn't mention anything about A1's momentum. If A1 deliberately ran into B1, and the contact was significant, I can see a call here (we're told to ignore this contact unless intentional or flagrant). But there just as easily could be a no-call here, not to mention that it is more likely as well.

Voiceoflg,
Just in case the other explanations given seemed to be missing some information, let me add a comment or two.

Once the player stepped out of bounds, the official would have sounded his whistle indicating that the ball is dead. When the ball is dead, contact is ignored UNLESS that contact is deemed to be intentional or flagrant. In other words, if there is a "bump" that occurs after the ball is blown dead for the ball being out of bounds, that very well might rise to the level of being a personal foul had it happened while the ball was alive, that "bump" is ignored. On the other hand, if there is intentional contact or flagrant contact (think of the linebacker taking two additional steps after the QB has released the ball and then clobbering him), that foul is to be penalized.

Based on the comment to the coach, the official was telling the coach that there may have been a "bump", but since the ball was dead (player already out of bounds), the foul did not rise to the level of being intentional or flagrant -- therefore, the contact was ignored.

JRUt - I ran into this Friday night.

After my F/JVB games I had the opportunity to be in the pre-game and then watch the first half of a battle for 1st place locally in VB game and then go in the locker room with the officials at half.

As the V officials were reviewing the first half, they asked me what I saw. Cool for me. I told of my observations, but specifically asked the Ref (State Tourney guy last yr) about one specific back court call the "Public Address Announcer" announced. I said I didn't have the best angle, but to me it didn't look like it. He smiled at me and said, "That's because it wasn't back court......it was a carry!" :)

The Game Announcer misinterpreted his signal and got it wrong for everyone present to hear! He said when doing the game - never listen to the Announcer. An oversimplification, but point taken!

There was one football game where I had an official sitting with us in the booth. He was a friend of my color commentator and it was a HUGE help. I do my darndest to make sure I know the rules of the sport and level I broadcast so I don't say something stupid on the air. But he helped point out stuff off-air that I missed (away from the ball, etc.) and it helped the broadcast tremendously. I wish we could have one every game.

Thanks for all your input. I wish I had a video of the incident in question. It could better describe what happened than I could ever do in text.

Thanks again.