NCAA: Tripping Over a Defender

[Nevadaref]

It was the Kentucky/UNLV game.

Illegal contact which causes a dribbler to fall to the floor and lose the ball is one of the two "abolutes" which new officiating coordinator John W. Adams established this year. If such takes place, it must be called a foul.

The problem with the play in this game was that even after seeing several replays I don't believe that the contact was illegal or caused by the defender. The dribbler seemed to step onto the foot of a defensive player who was not even attempting to guard him and had arrived at his spot on the floor first. Therefore, although there was contact between the two players and the dribbler definitely went to the floor, I don't believe that there was illegal contact.