2011 Tournament Discussion Redux

[Berkut]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

Clearly contact on the shooter's right elbow before the block. Beats the hell out of me why people think such a play is legal.

Because the contact was not the reason the shot ended up in row eight.

Also, contact is not necessarily a foul. And while it is clearly before the block when the play is slown down to about 1/4 speed, at full speed the contact and shot pretty much appear to be simultaneous. Certainly close enough to be considered essentially simultaneous.

Finally, look at the position of Williams hand *before* the contact - that ball had zero chance of going in the basket whether there was contact or not.

I am no NCAA official, but I am pretty uninterested in calling blocks like this a foul unless the contact is either severe, or very early, or it is obvious that the contact is what allowed the shot to be blocked to begin with (impedes the shooters ability to get the shot up and over the defender).