Glad I dont do that brand of ball. My #1 line (mere contact doesnt constitute a foul, coach) would be useless.

I agree Snaqs, I was speaking on the "absolute" JR stated:

Most of the people I work with regularly pre-game that once a post player turns and faces the basket, they are a ball handler and they are treated just as we would treat a guard looking to drive from the top of the key.

As far as the contact on the ball handler anywhere, I find that the "hot stove touch" way of looking at things the NCAA women started using a few years ago helps me be much consistent with contact on the ball handler.

To me, this is possibly the most important aspect to beginning a game. If your guards can move freely, without being bumped and grabbed, you'll have a smooth night. The nights where things get physical out front are the nights that are tougher to manage for me.

Superbly worded advice. Thanks, Bob.

You still working games?

+1

And afaik NCAAM and the NFHS want it called exactly the same way as NCAAW.

I agree that all contact is not a foul and that adv./disadv. applies. How am I supposed to interpret this and previous year's POE?

A. Hand checking.

1) Hand checking is any tactic using the hands or arms that allows a player, on offense or defense, to control (hold, impede, push, divert, slow or prevent) the movement of an opposing player. This is a good def. of adv/disadv
2) Hand checking is a foul and is not incidental contact.
3) Defensive players shall not have hand(s) on the offensive player. When a player has a hand on, two hands on or jabs a hand or forearm on an opponent, it is a foul. Seems to expand on what is said in 1) above

Handchecking is used by the defender to measure the opponent. It allows the defender to supplement his sense of sight with his sense of touch to anticipate the movement of that opponent. Done properly it can provide a great advantage to the defender, even though the actual contact may be minimal.

Here's another old NFHS POE on handchecking...

"Regardless of where it takes place on the floor, when a player continuously places a hand on an opposing player, it is a foul."

"When a player places both hands on an opponent, it is a foul."

And next year, no doubt we'll see a similar new POE because of all the officials that want to make up their own rules and ignore what the FED has been tellings to call for years.

Rule 4-27-3 is an even better definition, IMO, of advantage/disadvantage.

I don't think 1 is a definition. It does seem to say that it's not a foul unless there is an advantage.

Item 3 seems, to me, to say it's a foul regardless of advantage.

So, I think items 1 and 3 conflict.

Think it will be a POE in 2011-12? I am leaning that way.

Just like the boy who cried wolf.... :D

I like it when they try to circumvent this rule by holding -- not jabbing -- a forearm into an opponent.

POEs are not rules. If they want to change the rule then change it. But until then incidental contact rules apply, I am not calling this just because someone touched. I am calling a foul when an advantage is gained, PERIOD.

At the Men's side also this is what we call an absolute, but still they ask for some level of RSBQ to call it. That is what I do and it works for me.

Peace

When I played (yes I played, and I played for a coach who was a H.S. basketball official himself (I have told the story before) and who's teams won 16 league championships in 21 years (I played on 2 of them), a defender did NOT put his hand(s) on the offensive player who is in control the ball for any reason. AND I still canNOT understand why a defender needs to put his hand(s) on the offensive player who is in control the ball. The player in control of the ball is right in front the defender to see and there is absolutely NO need for the defender to put his hand(s) on the player who is in control of the ball.

MTD, Sr.