did i handle this correctly?

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

I am a little surprised by what I'm reading here. Everything I've heard from officials better than me (including those who work at higher levels) is to make this kind of foul a dead ball foul if at all possible (score or no score). If he commits the foul so far before the ball became dead, you have no choice but to make it a live ball foul. But more often than not, it is so close to the ball becoming dead that it could considered a dead ball foul with no issues from anyone. Do you all really call this that closely and make this kind of play of a live ball foul? If you do, I suggest you re-think that approach if you try to move up to higher levels.

With all due respect to all those "better" officials, including the ones at higher levels, the advice they've given should be applied carefully and relate to each specific incident at hand. There really are no "generic" calls for these type incidences. I would agree with the notion to "try" and consider such fouls as Dead ball fouls WHEN the action is close enough to the ball being dead as to cause some doubt as to the actual status.

However, when there is no doubt and the foul clearly happens before the ball becomes dead, the appropriate call is a live ball foul. To do otherwise, allow a score to stand that should have been nullified by a blatant and stupid act, is declaring "open season" for blatant and stupid acts and is rewarding the type of actions we all want to see removed from the game and providing an unearned advantage to a team, and a player, who have earned neither.

Most penalties are intended as both punishment for behaving badly and/or motivation to reject bad behavior in the future. We do not have any authority to grant scores that are not legitimately earned, which is exactly what we would be doing by declaring a foul, we know for sure to be alive ball foul, eligible for dead ball enforcement.

Repeated Points of Emphasis regarding reducing unnecessary and excessive contacts will have little effect if perpetrators are granted excuses for their bad behavior that allows them to avoid the most serious component of the penalty they have earned and deserve. Their behavior is what it is, and dealing with it accordingly seems like the fairest, and most instructive, way to handle it.

If "moving ahead to a higher level" is your primary motivation, displaying a reluctance to make the "tough call", doesn't sound like a wise way to pursue your goal.