Tripping from Behind
 

Situation: Defender's foot makes slight contact with the foot of the dribbler he is pursuing. Dribbler trips. Foul for illegal contact.
Question: With no official mechanic for "tripping", which signal should properly be used when reporting foul to the table, illustration #32 Blocking, or #33 Pushing?
Reason for asking:
10-6-6: Contact caused by a defensive player who approaches from behind
is pushing.
Yet,
4-7-1: Blocking is illegal personal contact which impedes the progress of
an opponent with or without the ball.

Pushing is really more of movement into the opponents body whether by use of the hands or or the body.

Blocking is the closest foul to describe "tripping".

There's no foul signal because the penalty isn't a foul.

The penalty is 2 minutes in the box. Team A plays 5-on-4 for 2 minutes, trying to score as many in that time for the advantage.

I do not think it matters. This is something either way you should not worry about. Just call a push, since it is from behind that makes the player fall and move on.

Peace

T-Minus Thirty And Counting ...
 

I know more about rocket science than I do about NCAA officiating, but isn't there a trip signal for NCAA women? Or is it a hit in the head signal? OK. Let's get back to talking about propulsion systems.

There is a trip signal in both NCAA mechanics. ;)

Peace

Wouldn't we consider tripping a form of illegal contact?

I don't think the question is whether it is illegal and a foul but what signal should be used.

Actually, that's my point.

Is tripping a type of blocking? Typically not. Pushing? No. Holding? No. Hand Check? No.

That leaves "illegal use," or sometimes, "illegal." While the full description is "illegal use of hand(s)," we typically say the first one or two words when reporting the foul. Tripping is definitely illegal, so why not go with that?

The definition of blocking seems to fit pretty well.

Don't say anything; just give the block signal and move on. No need to verbalize the "type" of foul. Everyone will know what happened anyway.

Type of foul signals are all but obsolete in terms of usefulness. We still need to give them, but they are worthless. The only real exceptions are block/charge, something else that differentiates offense and defense, or situations where a foul caused a violation by the other team and you are calling the foul. I.e. bump caused a travel and you signal for a foul and a push (to sell it).

My only question here is the use of the word "obsolete," which implies that at one time they were more useful than they are now. Were they?

The answer to that is we can consider tripping to be either illegal contact or incidental contact, depending on our judgment using the criteria outlined in NFHS rules 4-19-1 and 4-27.

Freddy in the original post of this thread though had already told us that the trip to be considered was illegal contact, using those exact words.

Does that answer your question?

And for my own personal edification, do you hold a Ph.D in obfuscation?

I do not necessarily agree with that. I have giving just a signal only to be asked "What did he do?" That being said I do verbalize my signal, but I just do not keep it to "push" or "block." I have said "tripping" while giving one of the signals.

I have found I get fewer questions after I report a foul.

Peace