Question @Drive to the Basket

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by GoodwillRef

What? If it is a hand check signal a hand check. This is a great example why kids keep playing with their hands and not moving their feet. When I have a hand check I make sure everyone know I have one. I want to make sure the ball handler is not getting mugged, held, or re-routed by the defender. Call the handcheck...it is not a push...a push is a push. When I follow you two nights later and have the same team and I call the rule (hand checks) the way it is supposed to be called I am the one catching crap because you are doing your job correctly.

Actually, GWR, until a few years ago, there was no "Hand Check" signal. While the rules on contact were the same, we only had the choices of Push, Hold, Illegal use of Hands, or Block. The "Hand Check" was only added to give the official another angle for commnication.

Many possible fouls fit more than one foul type. The "Hand Check" foul is a fully redundant foul. If you think about it a bit, a "Hand Check" can ALWAYS be called at least one of the other types of fouls. If they have not pushed or held with the hand, it is probably not a hand check. It would also be illegal use of hands in nearly every case.

Even in your description above, you used the word "held". "re-routed" would be a push. "Mugged" would either be illegal hands, push, or hold.

So, it is not necessary to ever call it as a hand check since the action also always fits the definition of at least one other type of foul.

No coach/player is ever going to quibble over whether you call it a push or a hand check.