Clean Block or a Foul?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Don't exaggerate. The Missouri player did not get dropped to the floor with a tomahawk chop. In fact the swinging of his arm had nothing to do with how he got to the floor. He went to the floor because he was moving at a high rate of speed at an opponent who is bigger/heavier than him. Now if you want to debate whether the defender had verticality, that's fine and a valid opinion but to say the defender chopped down the opponent is hyperbolizing the play.

Absolutely!!!

Originally Posted by ballgame99

Agree, if the defender is vertical this isn't a foul. In my judgement he isn't vertical. That is all.

Part of my "problem" may be that I have played basketball all my life, coached for many more, and am now trying to learn to be an official and I've got you guys telling me everything that I know about the game is wrong. I need to learn that a guard isn't allowed to go in for a layup and have his path to the basket violated by the defender and get dropped to the floor with a tomahawk chop and expect a foul. No wonder people ***** about college officials.

Just because you coached and played does not mean you know the rules. I played too for years and when I became an official I had to relearn rules or learn what the rule actually was based on the common myths I had regurgitated to me for years.

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

Sorry, I will keep my middle school officiating-self out of the deep end from now on.

I think this is part of the problem with these discussions. I am not saying this necessarily about you, but working a college Men's game is very different than working many varsity games, both boys and girls games. And part of the problem is this play is not totally uncommon at that level or even many varsity boys games, but might be something you never see at a middle school or even lower level HS game. And I really think that is why many of us will never agree because a middle school official has a different set of motivations than a college official. And this is also why I cannot stand to work girls games because this kind of contact would be expected to be called. Heck I have seen officials call fouls in girls games where no one falls and there is a foul on a made basket. And I think really that is the crux of this issue, because what you are used to working will dictate what you see or what judgment you use.

Originally Posted by AllPurposeGamer

And I mentioned the other call because someone previously asked how the game ended and the OP said something about how Mizzou fans were complaining. The complaining is due to the perceived inconsistency.

And we should care about their opinion because........?

Peace