Then why not simply say, "No shot" or "Before the shot"?

"On the floor" describes a location, not an action.
It doesn't tell anyone whether the player had begun shooting yet or not. Thus, it is a very poor phrase to use for such situations.

I, personally, don't like this one, because not only is it inaccurate from a rulebook standpoint, I don't consider it to be a good description of a foul occurring before the motion which habitually proceeds the try has begun.

Hey, I think I just wrote that! :D

Some thoughts from other frequent posters here as written on the NFHS forum:

This is actually the one I use the great majority of the time.

It must. Every time I use it someone yells, "But, he was shooting."

I don't consider it to be a description at all, but merely a figure of speech which conveys information.

That makes sense as that person is simply telling you that your decision to not award FTs because of the location of the player (your verbalization of "on the floor") is incorrect. You just aren't understanding the protest.

Whether you agree or disagree, the point they're making is that it mattereth not what you think this figure of speech means. It only matters what the hearer thinks it means. If it means something else to the hearer, then you have not conveyed the information you intended.

I can appreciate a good Frankenstein plug. :)

I really enjoyed those old school ,crappy horror movies,alot.:cool:

While it* is sometimes correct, it (too often) gets interpreted as an absolute. Then, when the absolute correctly isn't called, fans, coaches, players wonder why.

So, don't use it.

* - "It" can be over the back, reach, on the floor, etc.

Yabut....if you use "before the shot", then maybe no one would have anything to yell about.:D

Granted, the verbalization "on the floor" is incorrect, from a rulebook standpoint.
But this is not a literal argument. The player can be off the floor for an extended period of time which is obvious to everyone and still not be in the act of shooting.

If a coach asks "Was it (the foul) on the floor?" Is it ok for me to simply say yes or is it necessary to give a language lesson?

Is it incorrect? yes Is it misleading? no Is this issue worthy of this many posts? definitely not


I've asked this before: Why do we not complain when a coach yells for a "walking" call? Does the word walk appear anywhere in the books?

Must be a regional thing, but I don't recall hearing a coach ever asking for "walking". But I've worked with a much older guy who occasionally refers to traveling as "progression".

Once you get past the ideological purity arguments, the reality is that it's all about communication. If the words you or I choose do not effectively communicate, we are using the wrong words. If they do effectively communicate, they are not wrong. However, there may be words we could chose that communicate even more effectively. I think we ought to always be open to that possibility and be on the look out for better alternatives.

Neither. Say, "yes, it was before the shot."

1. If a coach asks me if it was "on the floor" after I've waved off a shot, my answer is "it was before the shot." It doesn't really take any longer than "yes" and it's actually accurate.

2. "On the floor" fits into a list of misleading phrases and signals that perpetuate myths.

a) travel signal on a throwin spot violatoin
b) "reach"
c) "over the back"
d) "wait til it hits the rim"
e) "everyone move back behind the half court line"

3. Coaches here don't ask for "walking," and the good ones don't ask for reaches or over the back calls.