Penn State / Maryland

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by crosscountry55

Feet got tangled.

Feet do get tangled in a basketball game, often with no fouls charged, but the fact the screener's foot ended up on top to the defender's foot means that the screener was too late getting to his spot, and thus, a blocking foul.

If it had been the other way around, the defender's foot on top of the screener's foot, then we could have a different call.

[mutantducky]

def not the worst call or anything like that. It was a tough one to officiate though. It looks like an illegal screen, but quite minor so a no call probably was in order. Then it appears the defender hooks his arm causing the players to fall.
Honestly, I don't know. I'd have gone with a no-call but if I was in that situation and see the players fall like that I think many refs would call a foul there. That would be very tough to hold the whistle.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by mutantducky

It looks like an illegal screen, but quite minor so a no call probably was in order.

This, "quite minor", "illegal screen", ended up with two players on the floor. If nothing illegal had happened, i.e. all incidental contact, then one could pass on this play, but once one decides that something illegal happened, even if it's a "quite minor", "illegal", action, then the resulting pile of players on the floor requires a whistle, and a call.

[Camron Rust]

Great call.

Screener illegally tripped the defender and took him out of the play.

[mutantducky]

There is no doubt in my mind the ref would have passed on the illegal screen had the players not went down. Had the defender simply moved out of the way which he could have done, and played D it would have been a no-call. From what I see, the MD player is clearly grabbing the screener and causing the players to fall. Both of them are at fault here. Yeah, maybe a no-call would have been in order but like you say that doesn't really fall under the incidental variety.
It really was a no-win situation for the ref.
The Penn St coach needs to chill.

[ref3808]

My compliments to the official. I watched the clip twice before I saw the trip. He had it all the way in real time. Good call.

And by the way coach, I don't believe that's the worst call you've ever seen.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by ref3808

And by the way coach, I don't believe that's the worst call you've ever seen.

You've got that right. At some point in his career he must have seen Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. officiate.