Ball Foul?

[wanja]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

I would never penalize a defender who does not have control of the ball, but by being able to get his hand or hands on the ball is able to exhibit enough force to knock the opponent to the floor. That play is perfectly legal.

Never could get you in trouble here. Consider a scenario where a defender gets a hand on the ball, directs it to the chest of an opponent, pushes him back a few feet and then pushes him to the floor using the ball. You better have something. An extreme case to make the point that there is room for judgment and the judgment of the official in the initial case should not be summarily dismissed.