NFHS 2015-16 Points of Emphasis
 

Basketball Points of Emphasis - 2015-16


1. POST PLAY

New information has been added to the Rule Book that addresses cleaning up post play.

It is legal for offensive and defensive players to touch when both are maintaining a legally established position. Illegal contact on a post player is any tactic using hands or arms or just generally demonstrates rough physical movements that allows a player on offense or defense to control the movement of an opposing player.

It is a foul and should be ruled as such when:

a. An opponent is displaced from a legally established or obtained position;
b. An arm-bar is extended and displaces an opponent;
c. A locked and/or extended elbow displaces an opponent;
d. A leg or knee is used in the rear of an opponent to hold or displace;
e. Holding, hooking, slapping, pinning or pushing the leg or body of an opponent;
f. An offensive post player “backs-down” and displaces the defender once that defender has established a legal guarding position.

2. REBOUNDING

One of the leading causes of injury in high school basketball continues to be the result of illegal contact that takes place during rebounding. Any activity to illegally gain rebounding position on an opponent must be properly enforced and penalized. Some examples of illegal rebounding activity are:

a. Displacing, charging or pushing an opponent;
b. Extending the arms or elbows to impede the movement of an opponent;
c. Using the hips or knees to hinder or impede an opponent;
d. Violation of the principle of verticality;
e. Contact between players in free-throw lane spaces prior to the ball being released by the free thrower.

Rebounders include each player involved in the act, whether an offensive or defensive player. It is a coach’s responsibility to teach players the proper rule based technics of legal rebounding.



3. FREE THROW SHOOTER

Rule 9-1-3g was revised in 2014-15 to allow a player occupying a marked lane space to enter the lane on the release of the ball by the free thrower. As a result of this change, protection of the free thrower needs to be emphasized. On release of the ball by the free thrower, the defender boxing out shall not cross the free-throw line extended into the semicircle until the ball contacts the ring or backboard. A player, other than the free thrower, who does not occupy a marked lane space, may not have either foot beyond the vertical plane of the free-throw line extended and the three-point line which is farther from the basket until the ball touches the ring or backboard or until the free throw ends.



4. NFHS SIGNALS AND MECHANICS

The NFHS Basketball Officials Manual was revised for 2015-16. Officials are reminded that, when officiating a high school basketball game, the proper NFHS signals and NFHS mechanics are to be used.

I'm glad they are emphasizing rebounding action, because sometimes I feel like I'm on an island on cleaning that mess up when I work HS games.

Someone please provide a citation from the NFHS RULES stating that 2e is illegal.

Like anything else, wouldn't it depend on the contact? One player reaching/leaning into the adjoining space, if not addressed it may escalate to the point where the arm or jersey is grabbed before or simultaneously with the release.

8-4-g. not more than one player can occupy lane space. if two players are touching it is likely one of them is in the other space.

AND, after thinking about it for few seconds..they are talking about the second slot moving in early or the first slot doing same. those are violations that need to be enforced.

Nevada's right. Occupying a space and making contact with an opponent are two different things. Other than positioning the lane space restrictions are 9-1-3d and 9-1-3g. Neither of those mentions anything about making contact with an opponent. If there's illegal contact, call a foul.


And if that happens, call the foul. They'll stop.

So I can be in the first slot and lift my right leg and lay it across your left leg or place my right arm against your chest? I disagree. a player has a space. verticality applies. if a player lifts an arm or leg into the other space (even if not touching ground) im going to tell them immediately to knock it off. if they dont i will call the violation. (or put delayed violation sign out etc. )

Again, i think they are after the players going all in early as opposed to guys in the spaces making a bit of contact with hands arms...

1. The first line under Verticality in NF 4-45 says "Verticality applies to a legal position." By rule there is (generally) nothing illegal about just touching someone - during a FT or otherwise.

2. The situation you describe of "lift(ing) my right leg and lay(ing) it across your left leg)" is already a violation under 9-1-3g because a player would have to move their right foot beyond the edge of their lane space. So by all means, call the violation.

3. A player moving their arm into someone else's lane space is not a violation by rule. If there's enough contact it may be a foul. If that's the case, call the foul.

You are speaking of calling a violation. POE #2 is instructing officials to call fouls when the listed items occur. Vastly different and my contention is that 2e cannot be justified by the rules. No where within them is a simple touch of an opponent in a neighboring FT lane space stated to be a foul.
A POE during a previous season made the same comment and I wrote then that it was not accurate. This is nothing more than someone attempting to create a ruling through their editorial position or task of crafting the language for the POEs.

Excuse me, but what violation are you calling when a player sticks his arm into the neighboring lane space (either with or without contact)?

I had this happen in a MS-G game almost two years ago. The jostling contact between A1 & B1 was enough enough in my judgment to call a double foul. The fans didn't like it, the coaches seemed confused, but my partner said it was a good call. :cool:

Poe 1, clearly is calling for fouls. Poe 2 says "Illegal activity" includes....Not necessarily requiring foul call. They could have said again in 2 that it is a foul....

1. The items listed in 2a through 2d all clearly pertain to fouls not violations, yet you contend that e is different. I don't agree.

2. The text of 2e begins "Contact between players..." Please name one single example of contact between players resulting in a violation. (Or you can just admit that you are wrong.)

law school 101. number 1 specifically says the following are "fouls." POE 2 say the following are "illegal activity." i agree a -d are fouls. e, contact between players in a lane space before free thrower releases ball --can be violation or foul.

consider that in the context of what we see happening in high school now---second lane spot may move in early and shove first under. first may hit second early to keep him from pushing him under.

the poe is telling you to watch for "illegal activity" in that situation. doesnt mean you have to call a foul. get the person who goes in early.

It says properly enforced and penalized. Which means the enforcement could be a violation or a foul, whichever one applies to the situation. The way I see 2E, is that in those times that a player reaches across the vertical edge of his lane boundary into the opponents lane spot and makes contact, it should be a violation. By getting this when it happens, it will stop any further activity once the shot goes up.

Which you must have failed because you just made a circular argument. I asked for someone to show me a RULE making the action in 2e illegal (in the context of fouls). You cited a rule for violations, 8-4g, which doesn't involve contact. I respond that according to the text of 2e we are discussing a contact situation and challenged you to cite a single instance in which contact between players is a violation. YOU NOW RESPOND WITH POE 2e! Right back where you started.
So allow me to be clear. Please post anything from the NFHS Rules Book that involves contact between two players which you believe to be a violation OTHER THAN THIS POE.

Entering the lane early is a violation.
Illegally contacting an opponent would be a foul.
Contacting an opponent in a legal manner is nothing.
Keep it simple.

Almost. I agree that we should properly penalize any illegal action with a violation or foul as appropriate.
The problem with your post is that "reach[ing] across the vertical edge of [a] lane boundary into the opponent's lane spot" is NOT illegal according to any NFHS rule. Only breaking such a boundary with a foot is a violation.
Additionally, if contact is made, there is no NFHS rule extant permitting a violation to be called. It is just a judgment call by the official as to whether or not to whistle a foul.

I'm so glad they FINALLY addressed post play as a POE. Long overdue since they've NEVER done that before.

If POE 2e is telling us to call a foul when players standing in lane spaces touch then i agree. not supported by any rules and absurd. I try to avoid thinking they would mean the absurd. (maybe i shouldn't).

you are right. the arm isn't a violation. my screw up.

Tunnel Vision ...
 

Don't beat yourself up.

Back when I served on our local board's floor training committee, we had a highly ranked, veteran, trainer who told the rookies that it was a violation for a player, on the lane line, to put an arm through the plane of the lane line marks. It took everything in my power to convince him that he was wrong. He didn't go down easy, he went down kicking, and screaming, but I eventually convinced him that he was wrong.

Sometimes officials just develop these mental blocks. After all, there are a lot of rules, and some of them keep changing all the time.

Now? Where are my car keys?

Sometimes, officials learn the rules not from the rule books but from what they hear (on TV or other officials) without verifying the rule.

I had a partner call this very thing last week. The coach called him on it. I let him deal with it at the time and he stayed with it. I wasn't sure exactly what he'd called (other than that he had a violation) or why he called it.

Being summer league, we were hanging around the table as the next game was about to start. I wasn't going to ask him about it yet but the coach (politely) came to us wanting to talk about it a little more with my partner about it. I was brought into the conversation by my partner to clarify the rule and (after being sure he wanted my input....I'd have rather had this conversation in private) informed him that it was indeed not a violation at all...that his only option was a foul or nothing.

Pat-A-Cake, Pat-A-Cake, Baker's Man ...
 

Girls are the worst offenders. It's like they're playing pat-a-cake, or something. Tell 'em to knock it off in the first period, and they'll still be doing it the in the third period. Tell 'em to knock it of in Tuesday night's game, and they'll be doing it again in Friday night's game.

Tell boys to knock it off once, and they stop, period.