Intentional Foul???

[Camron Rust]

Originally Posted by mbyron

My intuition is that this is a common foul. I guess I'd distinguish it from the OP based on the fact that in your play B4 intends to kick a pass rather than a ball in player possession. It's a clearer case of accidental contact.

On the other hand, it's still not a "basketball play," since there's no way for the kick to legally contact the ball. It is more common, however, and maybe that warrants some leeway.

I think you are misconstruing "basketball play".


What is or is not a "basketball play" doesn't necessarily depend on whether the action is legal or not but depends on whether the action is generally relative to the play of the game.

• Knocking the ball out of your opponents hands IS a basketball play.
• Using the feet to stop a pass IS a basketball play---it happens regularly and has specified consequences.
• Agressively defending a shot from a poor position knowing that you'll get called for foul is an illegal play but is still a basketball play.
• Two guys posting up and one throwing a hard knee/elbow into the other's gut is NOT a basketball play.
• A player running down the court trailing a fast break by 40 feet and chucking the nearest opponent is NOT a basketball play.
• A player grabbing another player's ponytail and yanking it is NOT a basketball play.
• Using your feet to stop the ball (even in another player's hands) is a basketball play....with defined consequences. I've seen this happen a few times over the years in the context of a loose ball where one player gets the ball and the other is kicking at the ball (not viciously or anything, just trying to keep the other one from getting it).