I'd say it's a little more prevalent than once in a career...but usually you see it in a transition when going from old trail to new lead on a fastbreak.

How many times have you personally knocked a player down?

Can't say it's happened to me, but I've had some situations (quick steal) where a player has almost collided into me (were it not for my 4.4 speed ;)).

I guess I was saying I've seen it happen maybe once or twice an NBA season...so not a once a career thing...maybe 1.5 a career. :D

I reread my post and I mistakenly said new trail, when I meant NEW LEAD. So I was ahead of the play and got in the way of a streaking player as we were already wide or close to the sideline. I just misjudged the player's movements and he feel down. Not sure that will change anyone's opinion about the play. Sorry it was rather early morning when I posted this.

Peace

Let's just say I'm hoping it's a once-a-career situation. :D

It has never happened to me in my 16 years of working games at any level or any type of game. And as I stated I was actually the new lead not the new trail.

Peace

It was a first in 25 years for me when I got clipped as the new lead a few weeks ago. Except *I* went down and the kid got the ball a second later and finished a layup. I've gone down before, but not because of player contact.

Well you're good for half a take down next time. :D

That is why I workout man. ;)

Peace

I didn't make it 25 years, but this year was my first such situation , and I also was the one who went down.

I swear I heard a whistle right before he crashed into you...

I actually had a deal which might be even worse. Bad pass, not close to anybody, headed out of bounds. I reached out to catch it, didn't handle it cleanly, and it bounced off my hand and stayed inbounds. I blew the whistle and pointed in the opposite direction. Coach protested briefly, and then let it go.

Supported by rule? no Just one of those things.

Rich, I'm not saying we should go onto the court worrying about what others think. There's no way we can officiate effectively that way. That being said I was reminded early on that we never know who's watching us.

At any rate, my point was on par with what JugglingRef said...just call what's there. Sometimes stuff happens.

And I've Taken Out A Few Cheerleaders ...
 

I don't think that I ever have, but I have set some "wicked" screens. (How's my Maine accent bainsey?)

Snaqs:

I have never (with apologies to J. Dallas Shirley) knocked a player down, but years ago, before Mark was a gleam in my eyes, I got "tackled" by a player diving for a loose ball that was going out of bounds along my sideline. The game was a boys' H.S. freshmen game; I don't know why the player dived for the ball because his team would have gotten the ball because it was going OOB off his opppoenent. The game was on the Friday afternoon of the last week of the OhioHSAA regular season. I officiated a NAIA women's college regular season game the next afternoon when I really shouldn't have because: The following Monday I found out that I had suffered a strained MCL and a cracked tibia in my left leg. I did not return to officiating until the opening week of the H.S. baseball season. The best thing of returning to officiating was that my first baseball game of the season was a boys' H.S. freshmen game (I was behind the Plate) and the Lead Off Batter for the Visitor's was the basketball player that had ended my basketball season. He didn't know the extent of my injury; I told him that it was not a problem, but he had better be swinging every at bat because every pitch he saw was going to be a strike, ;).

MTD, Sr.