Using teammates to foul?
 

How would you call the foul when a teammate uses his teammate to foul the opposing team player, whether it's offensive or defensive, for example pushing his teammate bumping into the opponent, would you call it some unsportsmanship technical on the player pushing or the teammate whom got pushed into a foul?

For example B1 pushes B2 into contact with ball handler A1 to stop him from making a shot.

For example Ball handler A1 pushes A2 into B1 who is guarding A1.

For example A1 grabs A2 and pulls him in to block defender B1's path for a not so legal screen (insufficient space or moving screen).

Foul on the player that ultimately ends up making contact on the opponent.

I agree. And I recently made such a call. When the offender told me that he got pushed, I told him it was his teammate that had pushed him - he hadn't realized that it was his teammate.

Officials only penalize illegal actions.
Pushing or pulling a teammate is nothing. If that teammate makes illegal contact with an opponent, that is what gets whistled. The player who made the contact with the opponent gets charged with the foul. If he doesn't like it, he can complain to the teammate who pushed him.

Too bad we can't also consider the pusher an "accessory" and give him half a foul. :rolleyes:

would you also give a flagrant & eject the player if the contact was too dangerous even though he didn't walk his way into the contact but pushed by the player, or will you just call a normal foul?

so in no way the pushing teammate will get called for a foul even if it's unsportsmanlike such as this?

You're suggesting that a player might shove his own teammate with enough force to call a flagrant foul for the resulting contact with an opponent. All I can say is, when that happens, you post the video and we'll give it all the attention it deserves.

If A1 is airborne for a dunk or layup and B1 shoves B2 into A1 such that the contact takes out A1's legs and causes him to crash to the floor, I certainly would consider an intentional or flagrant foul on B2. Yes, the real fault lies with B1, but there is no rule permitting the official to penalize him for such an act.

Teammates may be penalized for committing unsporting behavior or acts of violence (fighting) against each other, but I don't see that as applying in the cases posited.

While the contact personal foul can only be charged to B2, I think the act of pushing a teammate into an opponent could be construed by the officials to be an unsporting technical foul the push is seen to be with clear intent to harm A1.

What if B1 pushes an official into A1 while he is attempting a jumpshot? :D

Consider the definition in 4-19-14. Is the context appropriate?

B1 is charged with a flagrant unsporting technical foul for disrespectfully contacting an official. If A1 is in the act of shooting when the foul occurs, continuous motion will apply and the ball will not become dead until the try ends. A goal may be scored in this circumstance. Team A will shoot two free throws and will be awarded a division-line throw-in. B1 will be disqualified.

Yes. Pushing a teammate in an effort to foul an opponent is an example of "...any behavior not in accordance with the spirit of fair play."

That's not the part of the rule to which I was referring. Try "is a noncontact technical foul..."

And as was pointed out as the reason you cannot call a personal foul on B1...he didn't contact A1.

Another well-timed thread here. I kicked this very ruling three days ago.

JV G, I'm the T. A-1 is holding the ball near the arc, with B-2 closely guarding. There's about three feet of space between A-1 & B-2.

For some inexplicable reason, B-3 comes flying out of nowhere and crashes into B-2. This creates a domino effect where B-2 knocks down A-1. Whistle and fist up, I pause, and looking over the entire play, I confidently decide to report the foul on B-3. It creates some confusion at the table and with the coach, but I went with it.

After the game, I talk with my partner and another official, who was watching as a fan. Those two see my point, and have never really seen anything like this play before, but figure it's best to check around. After checking with one interpreter and the well-respected members of the Facebook group, the unanimous verdict is in: I kicked it. The foul was B-2's, and next time (likely in several years), I will see to it that the foul becomes B-2's.

Still, there's a big part of me that finds flaw with blaming someone who was as much a victim as the one fouled. If we're honest and intelligent about it, if person A knocks person B into person C, it's wrong to blame person B. Any blame would go squarely on whomever creates the mess. Are we so caught up in "he didn't touch him" that we're missing the bigger picture?

This is an interesting question. If B1 throws B2 into an opponent with such force that you may have a flagrant foul, I'm not going to DQ B2, I'm going to DQ B1 with a flagrant technical foul.

No one is going to jail here, so.... :)

Enjoy watching that DQ get rescinded by your league/state office, perhaps the game get replayed, and you get suspended.