Hand-checking: A progression (video)
 

I thought this would be interesting to post given the recent discussion about contact at the NCAA level. Watching these really brought home the idea that coaches teach their kids to do certain things.

There are six plays in this clip. All with the same team on defense and all took place in the 1st quarter. At what point as individuals or as a crew should we stop the contact?

BTW, the team in green didn't have anything close to a hand-check on its defensive end during this time period.

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That is exactly the point I was making a few days ago....that sort of contact, even though not major, tilts the advantage away from the dribbler. If it is called it will stop and the offensive movement and opportunities to attack will open up.

On the first one I'm saying "hands" once then calling the foul. On #6 once I see the 2 hands on I auto blow the whistle.

That being said #2-4 I'm not going to give the warning each time. The defender/defense should get the message by then. It also leads to the offensive player now swiping the hand away, which IMO is a PC assuming we as a crew are calling the handcheck correctly, if we are not then it's not fair to call that and then thats just going to escalate the defender to start pushing and guiding with that contact hand.

This seems excessive in almost every case. I think a warning or two about hands off and a couple of quick ones cleans it up.

It is a lot easier if the kids getting hand checked are trying to attack forward to score instead of playing side to side waiting for screening action/cutters. The foul is when the player tries to break down the d and the handcheck persists, if people were attacking and forcing them to play good positional defense its not as much of an issue. If you are just going to swing the ball and dribble side to side 30 feet from the rim for 20+ seconds then its easier for refs to not see a disadvantage.

If you call HC #1, you most likely don't have the other 5 plays.

This video makes a pretty good argument for the value of the value of "talking players" out of things. Personally, though, I've never been a big fan of this (during live play at least). But I'm curious what other officials think. I know personally that I don't like when one of the first thing out of my partner's mouth in a pregame is "Let's not have any 3 second calls or hand checks where the player can play though."

My opinion is that I'm not looking for hand checks or 3 seconds, but if I see an obvious 3 seconds (usually 5+ seconds by the time you see it and realize the person isn't moving), I'm calling it, no warning necessary. Same with hand checking. I might let the first hands on go, but will the call as soon as I see the offensive player displaced if the defender still is using hands. I think a call early is more effective than a warning.

In the examples here, I think I call something on play #1. It's tough because the defender's hand goes on and stays, but the offensive player doesn't move initially. But when the offensive player gets displaced prior to the pass, I'd like to think I pick that call up and the hand checking stops.

In terms of leaving a hand on a dribbler/ball handler but that player isn't moving/is moving East-West instead of North-South, here's what was in the 2011-12 NFHS Rule Book under "Guidelines for teaching and officiating."

The continuous hand on a player who isn't moving isn't hindering them but it's not really incidental, either.

I readily admit I fall into the "he's not moving" thing in BV games and when it happens I get annoyed with myself. I don't do it during my GV games because they're under the NCAAW code where there are set guildelines on contact with the dribbler/ball handler (one hot-stove touch and that's it).

Don't understand the "talking the players out of things" on this level. I blow it right off the bat in my games. Players will adjust. They won't like it but if they don't adjust. Early exit for them.

Part two...(more video)
 

Here are back-to-back possessions in the 2nd half of the same game (there are also slo-mos which is why it's rather long). First thought I had: Consistency.

Notes:
*My apologies for the audio drop-out in the first sequence.
*Watch where #24 green goes right after the second play of the back-to-back.

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Easy, I do it all the time. I even say it to players before they touch the ball handler. And then when I blow my whistle I tell them they should have listened. Problem solved.

Peace

I like how the calling official wants the ball put in at the incorrect spot after he calls a foul... It should have definitely been inbounded on the sideline after that foul.