Hand checking

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by hoopguy

Chalk me up on the side of it is a foul to hand check.

Advantage/Disadvantage does not come into play because it is obviously an advantage to hand check. Anyone who has ever played knows this.

Why would a defender put his/her hands on their opponent if it was not an advantage? Why would the defender take a chance on having a foul called if it was not an advantage? As a player, when I was younger if a defensive player put his hands on me it would start with yelling to get your hands off and if that did not work things would escalate. I have changed with age but it was an advantage in those days and still is.

As a ref, I agree with Bob and use the college women's advice. I allow the 'hot stove' touch but call the foul when the hand stays on. Just like any foul call once the players understand how things will be called they adjust.

Refs not understanding that this is a foul is one of the reasons the game has often deteriorated into clutching and grabbing and the speed and quickness of the game has often times been lost.

I know this is an area that I need to improve. I probably call a hand check once or twice a game in 2 out of 3 games I officiate. I know it occurs more often than that.