05 October, 2021
15 May, 2022
11/03/2022
Tough Calls
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Tough Calls - Round of 16, Week 4

MIES (Switzerland) - Each week, experts and referees observers are analysing the games. In order to improve the understanding of referees' decisions and increase the transparency towards our fans, we publish some of those "tough calls", together with an explanation.

Please find below this week's "tough calls":

Tough Call 1: Nutribullet Treviso v BAXI Manresa - Unsportsmanlike foul

Blue 24 drives with his back to the basket being guarded by White 6. A contact occurs and the referee calls an offensive foul to Blue 24 for elbowing. After a brief discussion, the crew chief decides to use the IRS to review if the foul should be considered as an unsportsmanlike foul. After the review, the foul was upgraded to unsportsmanlike foul.

Article 37.1.1 An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact which, in the judgement of a referee is:

  • Excessive, hard contact caused by a player in an effort to play the ball or an opponent.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. The contact created by Blue 24, extending his elbow outside his cylinder and hitting White 6 face meets the criteria to be considered as an unsportsmanlike foul. The game shall be resumed with 2 free throws for White 6, followed by a White Team throw-in at the throw-in line in their frontcourt with 14 seconds on the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 2: U-BT Cluj-Napoca v Unicaja - Unsportsmanlike foul

Green 9 is dribbling the ball and makes a pass. After the ball is released, there is a contact created by White 22 and the referee calls a personal foul.  After a brief discussion, the crew chief decides to use the IRS to review if the foul should be considered as an unsportsmanlike foul. After the review, the foul was upgraded to unsportsmanlike foul.

Article 37.1.1 An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact which, in the judgement of a referee is:

  • Excessive, hard contact caused by a player in an effort to play the ball or an opponent.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. The contact created by White 22 on Green 9 face meets the criteria to be considered as an unsportsmanlike foul. The game shall be resumed with 2 free throws for Green 9, followed by a Green Team throw-in at the throw-in line in their frontcourt with 14 seconds on the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 3: JDA Dijon v MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg - Backcourt violation

White 11 on his frontcourt passes the ball to his teammate White 0 and the referee calls a backcourt violation.

Article 30.1.2 A team in control of a live ball in the frontcourt has caused the ball to be illegally returned to its backcourt if, a player of that team is the last to touch the ball in his frontcourt and the ball is then first touched by a player of that team:

  • Who has part of his body in contact with the backcourt, or
  • After the ball has touched the backcourt of that team.

Article 11.1 While a player is airborne, he retains the same status he had when he last touched the floor.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. The White Team was in control of a live ball in the frontcourt. White 11 was the last to touch the ball in his frontcourt. White 0 jumped from his backcourt and was still in the air when he touched the ball, so he is considered to be in his backcourt. Throw-in for the Black Team in their frontcourt, near to the centre line, and 14 seconds on the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 4: Lenovo Tenerife v Falco Szombathely - Personal foul

Yellow 6 loses the ball and when Black 24 starts to transition a contact occurs. The referee calls an unsportsmanlike foul to Yellow 6.  After a brief discussion, the crew chief decides to use the IRS to review if the foul should be considered just a personal foul. After the review, the foul was downgraded to personal foul.

Article 37.1.1 An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact which, in the judgement of a referee is:

  • An unnecessary contact caused by the defensive player in order to stop the progress of the offensive team in transition.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Yellow 6 tried to play the ball, and the action can be considered a normal basketball play and not an unnecessary contact caused to stop the transition. The game shall be resumed with a Black Team throw-in at the backcourt and 24 seconds on the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 5: Lenovo Tenerife v Falco Szombathely - Jump ball situation

Yellow 33 receives the ball and drives to the basket. When he is airborne for a shot, defender Black 14 blocks the shot and both players return to the floor. The referee calls a held ball.

OBRI 12-11         Example: A1 jumps with the ball in his hands and is legally blocked by B1. Both players then return to the playing court with both of them having 1 hand or both hands firmly on the ball.    

                              Interpretation: This is a jump ball situation.

Article 50.2 The shot clock operator shall stop but not reset the shot clock, with the remaining time visible, when the same team that previously had control of the ball is awarded a throw-in as the result of:

  • A jump ball situation (not when the ball lodges between the ring and the backboard).

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Yellow 33 was holding the ball with both hands and Black 14 had one hand firmly on the ball when they returned to the playing court. This is a jump ball situation. Yellow Team throw-in from the endline according to the alternating possession arrow with 12 seconds on the shot clock.