When to call the intentional foul?
 

I'm a pseudo new guy--back after 10 years of not officiating. I've done two games now, in a local church league (about rec league level of play, using high school rules). I have not had the benefit of any association training or veterans to work with for a decade. So, I was delighted to find this forum and look forward to learning a lot from you all!

Last night I worked a boys game. The home team was up by about 6 points near the end of the game. The inevitable fouling began, the visiting team trying to stop the clock and regain possession. They were pretty obvious about it.

Trying to keep the game under control, I called a couple of intentional fouls when the visiting team's player got more physical about fouling than I like. And I called some obviously intentional fouls as regular fouls, when they weren't overly physical about it.

At the time I felt like I was using the intentional foul rule to keep the rough play under control. Today it just feels like I was being inconsistent. So, my question: when do you call the intentional foul?

Welcome back!!!
 

First off Welcome back to officiating!!! :cool:

My last post before I go out to work my ball games tonight.

FED Rule 4.19.3 states what an intentional foul entails. However an intentional foul IMO is a call that is at the discression of the official. You will obviously have a foul call on the play, but the question is wheter or not it is intentional. A few cases (but not all others will have more)

1. B1 holds A1 from behind to prevent a layup

2. A1 going in for a layup is fouled hard by B1 while MAKING NO ATTEMPT to play the ball (may also be technical, flagrant etc)

3. Late in game coach tells player to foul and they push ball handler or someone off ball to stop clock (they key IMO are they making an honest (maybe token in this case) attempt to play the ball?) If not than you have an intentional. Obviously you have to use EXTREME DISCRESSION hera as fouling to stop the clock is part of the game. (Thanks for making me clarify Rich) :)

I am sure there are many more cases but these are a couple of quick ones off the top of my head that should cover 95?% of in game intentional sitch's. Like I said other posters will have more....


[Edited by MN 3 Sport Ref on Jan 10th, 2003 at 04:28 PM]

Fouling at the end of the game to stop the clock is an accepted practice all over the country.

I think the way to avoid rough play is to recognize the time when a team will start fouling and call the foul IMMEDIATELY. Don't demand a good foul. Don't hesitate to call the foul. ANY contact is a foul in this situation. If you don't call a foul on the first contact, the player will think, "If that's not a foul, wait until you see the NEXT one." And then that player will take the ball-handlers head off and you'll be dealing with a lot more than free throws.

If calling an intentional foul in that situation is an accepted practice in your neck of the woods, then do it. It's not in the five states I've called basketball. But don't ever try to interpret the rules on your own. There's nothing worse than being the only one to call something a certain way based on your reading of the rules.

Sure, the players will say they want an intentional foul, but they really aren't expecting you to call one.

Save the intentional foul calls for those situations mentioned above: Excessive contact fouls (that are short of flagrant EVEN when playing the ball), hands to the back, bearhugs, etc.

Rich

[Edited by Rich Fronheiser on Jan 10th, 2003 at 04:09 PM]

Re: Welcome back!!!
 

Actually, the rule book says it's intentional if A1 is fouled hard <i><b> even if </i></b> B1 is playing the ball.

Rule 4-19 Art 3

A foul also shall be ruled intentional if while playing the ball a player causes excessive contact with an opponent.

Z

Anybody from Utah want to comment on how it's usually called/not called there?

1 piece of advice: Don't judge an intentional foul based on the severity of the act.

Here's what it says in the "Officiating Guidelines" in the NCAA rulebook (Appendix III):

Section 6. Intentional Personal Fouling
Guidelines for calling the intentional personal foul are:
a. Any personal foul that is not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball or a player is an intentional personal foul.
b. Running into the back of a player who has the ball, wrapping the
arm(s) around a player and grabbing a player around the torso or
legs are intentional personal fouls.
c. Grabbing a player?s arm or body while initially attempting to gain
control by playing the ball directly is an intentional personal foul.
d. Grabbing, holding or pushing a player away from the ball is an intentional personal foul.
e. Undue roughness to stop the game clock is an intentional personal
foul and, if severe, should be called a flagrant personal foul (women:
flagrant foul).
f. It is an intentional personal foul when, while playing the ball, a player
causes excessive contact with an opponent.
The intentional personal foul must be called within the spirit and intent
of the intentional-foul rule.

Keepin' it under control
 

Thank you, everyone, for your feedback. It appears to me that I was making two mistakes. First, I was waiting for a "good foul," and so I contributed to the problem. :( Second, I was basing my decision on the severity, rather than the attempt to play the ball. Looking at it that way, I think I booted one each way (one intentional not called, one not intenional called). Next game will be better. :)

I have a follow on question. The end of the game started to get a little out of hand--a lot of contact, especially around the shooter; fouling to stop the clock; usual stuff. What do good referees do to keep everything under control at this point? And, I think, a related question: how do you strike the right balance between "letting them play" and "keeping it under control?"

I only have six years of nf but my opinion is you can't gain control late.I try to hit the hand-check and post play early and then the contact seems under better control the whole game.

Works a lot better than presence, eh? :p