Coach yells "Foul!"
 

I am sitting at my desk without a rule book or case book on hand and heard this one from a colleague.

Team B is down 4 points with 30 seconds left and the coach yells to his players to foul. Player B makes a legitimate play for the ball but commits a common foul. Referee calls an IF for the play and then explains to the coach that if he yells foul, the crew will have no other option but to call IF.

Understanding that the coach should have some other "safe" word for this action, isn't this a misinterpretation of the rule and should be an unsporting T on Team B HC?

Aren't all fouls at the end of a game when a team is trying to foul to stop the clock, by the book intentional fouls? Common sense must prevail here. Yes they are fouling on purpose, but as long as they make a play on the ball and the contact is excessive, I am calling a common foul.

referee calling an IF here is going to have a short career working nothing but lower level games.

Don't have my books in front of me at work to give a quote, but there is a note in the rules book that says something to the effect of fouling at the end of a game is a legitimate tactic, and that a coach instructing his players to foul is not grounds for calling an IF...

Not sure where you got the idea for calling a T on the coach for that...

You are looking for 4.19.3 Sit D I believe.

"Late in the fourth quarter Team B is trailing by six points. Team B's head coach begins to yell to his or her players to 'foul, foul, foul!' B1 responds by (a) grabbing A1 from behind, or (b) reaching for the ball but illegally contacting A1 on the arm.

RULING: In (a), an intentional foul shall be called. In (b), a common foul shall be called as B1 was making a legitimate attempt to 'play the ball.'

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"

That's the one...thanks!

4-19-3
Comment: Fouling near the end of a game is an acceptable coaching and playing strategy. Officals 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.

Several years ago the NFHS issued a (thankfully) short lived interpretation that made this an IF for the reason stated by the official. This official needs to be more current.

And no, not all fouls at the end of the game are IF "by the book."

Love the iOS app's search function, no more thumbing through pages and quick answers always on hand!

Correct. That interp lasted for one season only. The current instruction is to judge the foul based upon the action, not what the coach is yelling.

I know. I was typing mine at the same time you were.

Not sure where I got this from either. Some conversation in the past that my memory only slightly recalls.

Sad for me to say that the official in question here is a varsity level official for approximately 10+ years.

It has been published by the NFHS in a POE.

What never made sense to me is, if you're going to foul, why not go for the ball? Isn't a steal better than putting your opponent on the line?