Another First
 

30 seconds left, green has one more FT and trails by 5. Green player comes over to me (trail, opposite table) and says "Coach told me to tell you if we miss the free throw, we're going to foul #55."

What would you do?

Get a sub for #55 so they can't foul him?

Say, "Okay."

Call the game.

I might ask, "Why are you telling me?" This would be said in addition to the "Okay."

Peace

I assume he meant only if 55 gets the ball because he is a horrible FT shooter.

"Make sure you go for the ball."

why?

55 was not going to get the ball.

Strange conversation considering if they made it, the same tactics might be useful.

Anyway, I would not necessarily make more of it than it is, be prepared to see #55 get held or pushed intentionally if the ball misses.

I don't think it's a big deal, you still have to call the game, it just gives you some insight.

"Make sure you go for the balls!":p

I would acknowledge that I heard him and then expect that there would be a good chance of calling an intentional foul.

"Thanks for the warning, kid."

The first part was unspoken. He called me over in a TO right after that, and said he wanted to make sure it wasn't an automatic intentional. I told him it wasn't automatic, but it had better be a basketball play.

And


Here is the comment at the end of 4.19.3 (Intentional Foul) in the case book:

COMMENT: Fouling near the end of a game is an acceptable coaching and playing strategy. Officials must determine if a foul is intentional by judging the fouling act itself, not whether or not the coach instructed a player to perform the act.

I hear a lot of talk about going intentional with these fouls simply due to the strategy...when the case book specifically allows for this method of stopping the clock at the end of a game.

The expectation of an intentional is not due to the strategy, but rather the specifics. The fact that he named the player in advance that they intended to foul indicates that this player is not a very good player. Without even being there, one would expect after hearing this story that it was unlikely that this player would be handling the ball. Snaqwells was there, and he already confirmed this fact for us. Now you can quote the rest of 4.19.3, the part that defines an intentional foul as "away from the ball."