Can Refs Help Improve Youth Play (Videos)

[Pantherdreams]

I think what is causing you conflict is that you are teaching your kids to attempt to play well with feet and avoid creating illegal contact of any kind. This is good, but the problem is that the rules don't say illegal contact automatically equals foul. So while our kids defend properly you seem to expect a call everytime this doesn't happen. If it did any time anyone bumped or ran into each other or on every rebound there would be fouls called.

Illegal contact must be judged to be a foul or incidental.

Without going into all the criteria simply put then the 4 automatics others have shared with you the two criteria for determining that a foul are:

1) Does it create a clear an immediate advantage for the player commiting illegal contact or does it create a clear and immediate disadvantage for the player being contacted?

2) Is the contact excessive or leading to rough play?

If the official doesn't determine the contact to have met either of these criteria it is ruled incidental contact and play continues.

Some teams play like you no hands ever, trying to play without illegal contact. Others play at the edge of the rules risking fouls gambling that by playing a more physical game that the risk will outweigh the rewards. In most of the cases you sited what I'm watching is very subjective in terms of whether the player is gaining a clear and immediate advantage or disadvantage from the contact. Some officials might say they are impeded or its leading to rough play, but many will see players playing through it, or making bad decisions or being out of control anyway so determine that the contact is not creating a problem.