Advantage/Disadvantage

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Disagree completely.

The FED is telling us through that POE that those examples are no-brainers. There's no judgment required at all and they ARE automatic foul calls. They emphasized that by issuing the statement that "hand-checking is NOT incidental contact." By stating that, they took the guesswork right out of the call.

You can either follow the FED's direction or decide not to. My recommendation is to check locally and then follow their direction.

The problem is these are not rules, they were guidelines. And it is not a foul unless you feel they fit the guidelines and does not conflict with the rules. Now just like anything else, we are judged on our judgment. I have never called these automatic, but I call a lot of hand-checks (more than most). And just because they say these are said to be fouls, does not mean there is no judgment involved either. The rules are clear what legal guarding position is, but we have people that have little ability to be consistent to call that part of the game correctly. I am still looking for some advantage to call these and may wait a second or two to see the advantage. No different than any other foul I may call. And if I call it, I can use the rules and the guidelines as a way to justify the call. That is all I am going to do and it works for me.

Peace