NFHS emphasis on elbow contact

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by AKOFL

our assigner rules that there is no situation for elbow contact above the shoulder to be ruled a common foul. is this your take on that rule?

Originally Posted by AKOFL

thanks bob
im trying to wrap my head around a common foul on this. assigner said u cant have a common foul if you think the player "didnt mean to do it". guess i better get clarification from him on this

Your first statement (from farther up in the thread) is incorrect because it just says "elbow contact." Contact with a stationary elbow can be a common foul.

Let me try this:

1) First, decide whether the contact is incidental or illegal. Even contact with a moving elbow above the shoulders can be incidental (but it would be extremely rare for it to be incidental if the elbows were being Excessively Swung -- as defined in the book).

2) If the contact is illegal, then:
a) Stationary, above the shoulders: Common
b) Stationary, below the shoulders: Common
c) Moving, above the shoulders: Intentional
d) Moving, below the shoulders: Common
e) Excessively Swung, above the shoulders: Flagrant*
f) Excessively Swing, below the shoulders: Intentional

Any of the above can be "upgraded" of course, if you think the situation warrants.

* -- The rule, I think, really just says "intentional", but I'd be hard pressed not to have this as flagrant

And, from a game management point, most of the time, this happens on a rebound when we let the new defense hack away at the person getting the rebound. Get them out of there (use your voice) or call the foul on the hack.