Europes No'1 Basketball Referees Camp

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Europes No.1 Basketball Referees Camp

• What is and what is not, ILLEGAL contact?

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Interpreting contact

• Contact is inevitable when 10 players are moving
  at speed within the parameters of a basketball
  court.
• Not all contact is ILLEGAL, a lot is incidental,
  without any influence on the game.
• Knowing what is illegal and what is incidental is
  part of the referees learning and development.

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Interpreting Contact

• There must always be a balance between what is
  obvious, clear illegal contact that places
  opponents at a disadvantage and small, innocuous
  sometimes incidental contacts that do not
  interfere with the flow of the game.
• Basketball played by skilful players is a
  beautiful aesthetic experience, not to be
  tarnished by those who resort to illegal actions
  and behaviour.

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Interpreting Contact

• It is essential that a referee KNOWS and can
  actually SEE what happens, rather than THINKS
  that he knows what happens, which is GUESSING.
• The two are completely different.
• Recalling previous information and experience
  enables the referee to raise his performance by
  correct calls.

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Interpreting Contact

• Officials do not have the authority to change
  interpretations or rules.
• The game should always be decided by the legal
  actions of the players, not by the illegal
  actions that officials choose to ignore.
• It is UNACCEPTABLE not to penalise illegal
  actions because they are not in your primary area
  of responsibility.

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Interpreting Contact

• Be prepared for potential end of period, end of
  game and mid-game situations that need to be
  viewed in the context of that particular game,
  between those two particular teams on that
  particular day.
• Call it what you like many call it FEEL FOR THE
  GAME, others, COMMON SENSE or even DÉJÀ VU.

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Interpreting Contact

• But whatever you call it, be prepared for and
  UNDERSTAND all the possible situations that could
  arise.
• Do not be fooled by GAMESMANSHIP verbal and
  physical demonstrations, flopping, grunting or
  other sounds when contact (however slight) occurs
  and even players feigning injury at crucial
  moments of the game.

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Basic terminology

• Officials need to be able to recognise and
  understand basic plays on the court.
• Go to Coaching clinics and learn what coaches are
  teaching.
• Enhance your knowledge and relationship with
  players and coaches by understanding their roles
  and methods.
• Never stop learning.

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Off the Ball

• All players are entitled to a position on the
  floor and responsibility for illegal contact
  applies equally to offensive and defensive
  players.
• Understand what the players are trying to achieve
  away from the ball. Are they impeding opponents
  from moving and/or receiving or denying a pass?

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Off the Ball

• Quickly establish if the actions of the player
  creating the contact are legal or illegal.
• In the case of blind screens, have the elements
  of time and distance been observed. In the case
  of open screens, was the screener stationary and
  were any body parts extended illegally? One
  normal movement (step) should be allowed in order
  to avoid contact.

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Off the Ball.

• See the whole play from start to finish and from
  as deep/wide an angle as possible.
• Be aware of players jumping into the path of
  moving opponents without the ball and creating
  contact.
• Holding and bumping, the illegal use of body
  parts, especially on cutters and post players.

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Screening

• Understand the purpose of a screen.
• Understand the difference between blind and open
  screens.
• If the screen is LEGAL the level of contact is
  incidental.
• Understand what are the responsibilities of
  stationary and moving players setting screens on
  opponents.

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Screening

• A screener must be stationary with both feet on
  the floor when contact occurs.
• An open screen does not require time and distance
  and may be set as close to the stationary
  opponent as possible.
• A blind screen must respect time and distance and
  enable the opponent to make normal movements in
  order to avoid contact.

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Screening

• Contact created by body parts, especially arms
  and legs, outside the cylinder should be
  considered illegal if it dislodges/ moves the
  opponent from the established position or
  pathway.
• Be aware of cheating on screens by subtle use of
  the buttocks.
• Always note the point of contact.

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Screening

• Was the contact on the screeners chest? (Front
  of torso).
• Be aware of opponents creating illegal contact in
  order to prevent the screen being legally
  established.
• A screen should LEGALLY deny an opponent the
  right to a desired position on the floor.

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Charge/Block

• More than 75 of these calls will be contested by
  the penalised team. Be prepared for the reaction.
• Try to anticipate the play (never the call) and
  be in excellent position to see the whole play.
• Keep both offensive and defensive players in view
  but concentrate on the action and timing of the
  defence.

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Charge/Block

• Did the defender establish a legal guarding
  position prior to contact?
• Do you know what is a legal guarding position?
• Has the contact resulted in a player being
  disadvantaged by being moved from a legal
  position?
• Ignore the dramatics and histrionics.

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Charge/Block

• Protect the rights of the airborne player. If it
  is difficult to determine who is responsible,
  call a block.
• Be alert and prepared for charge/block
• when transitions occur
• where a dribbler beats his defender in one v one.
• in press situations and double team.
• in pass and crash situations.

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Hand-checking

• Hand-checking is the illegal use of hands/arms to
  impede or change an opponents movement.
• Hand-checking is NOT allowed on a dribbler nor is
  the dribbler allowed to use his hand/arm to
  impede the defender.
• A defender does not need to touch his opponent
  when he is FACING him.
• Defense is played with the feet.

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POST PLAY

• Post play should be viewed and anticipated as a
  physical (not rough) match-up between two
  opponents, especially big players.
• Incidental contact between post players is to be
  expected, but the use of hands, arms or legs to
  push and dislodge opponents is not permitted.

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POST PLAY

• A defensive post player may place a forearm,
  within his cylinder, across the back of an
  opponent but the first and only contact must be
  with the forearm not the hand(s).
• Once the defensive player has established a legal
  position, he cannot be dislodged from that
  position by the offensive player lowering his
  body and bumping his defender towards the
  basket.

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POST PLAY

• Excessive physical contact, in order to dislodge
  an opponent from a legally established position,
  should not be permitted.
• Pay attention to post players who interlock arms.
  Warn the player who initiates the arm-locking and
  if there is no response, call the foul. If both
  players persist call a double foul.

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POST PLAY

• When the offensive player receives the ball, do
  not allow the defender to use his hand(s),
  arm(s), knee(s) or upraised leg to dislodge or
  impede him.
• Do not allow the offensive player to use a swim
  stroke to push away the defenders arms away or
  use his elbow/extended forearm to pin and
  dislodge the defender.

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Unsportsmanlike Fouls

• Any illegal action that is not a legitimate
  attempt to play the ball or an opponent, should
  be considered unsportsmanlike.
• Wrapping arms around a stationary or moving
  opponent grabbing an opponent with one or both
  hands/arms, especially on a fast break grabbing
  an opponents shorts/shirt are all
  unsportsmanlike actions and should be penalised.

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Unsportsmanlike Fouls

• Grabbing an opponent by the arm or body whilst
  initially trying to play the ball shall be deemed
  unsportsmanlike.
• Grabbing, holding or pushing an opponent AWAY
  from the ball is always an unsportsmanlike foul.
• Excessive contact, undue roughness, especially
  against an airborne player, even when trying to
  play the ball, may be considered unsportsmanlike.

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Unsportsmanlike Fouls

• All such situations must be interpreted within
  the spirit and intent of the rule.
• This interpretation must be applied from the
  beginning to the end of the game without any
  influence from the score, time remaining or
  intensity of the game.
• Have the testicular courage (balls) to make the
  call.

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INSTANT REVIEW

• What were the key points in
• Interpreting contact?
• Off the ball?
• Screening?
• Charge-Block?
• Hand-checking
• Post Play
• Unsportsmanlike Foul?