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

Tough Call 1: Bahcesehir College vs Filou Oostende - Foul on airborne shooter

Red 5 attempts a 3-point goal. White 16 tries to block the shot and a contact occurs. The referee calls a foul to White 16. The ball does not enter the basket, so 3 free throws are awarded to Red 5.

Art. 33.1             The defensive player may not enter the cylinder of the offensive player with the ball
and cause an illegal contact when the offensive player is attempting a normal basketball play within his/her cylinder. The boundaries of the cylinder of the offensive player with the ball are:
• The front by the feet, bent knees and arms, holding the ball above the hips,
• The rear by the buttocks, and
• The sides by the outer edge of elbows and legs.

Art. 33.2             During the game, each player has the right to occupy any position (cylinder) on the
court not already occupied by an opponent. This principle protects the space on the court which he/she occupies and the space above him/her when he/she jumps vertically within that space.
When the player leaves his/her vertical position (cylinder) and body contact occurs with an opponent who had already established his/her own vertical position (cylinder), the player who left his/her vertical position (cylinder) is responsible for the contact.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. White 16 invaded the shooter’s cylinder creating an illegal contact. 3 free throws shall be awarded to Red 5.

Tough Call 2: JDA Bourgogne Dijon vs Peristeri bwin - Foul away from the ball

The referee calls a personal to White 1 for pushing the screener, Blue 2, approximately at the same time that Blue 12 attempts a successful 3-point goal. The referee awards 3 points to Blue 12 and awards 2 free throws to Blue 2 as this was White team’s 5^th foul in the quarter.

Art. 15.1.3          The act of shooting in a continuous movement on a drive to the basket or other moving shot:
• Starts when the ball has come to rest in the player’s hand(s), upon completion of a dribble or a catch in the air and the player begins, in the judgment of the referee, the shooting motion preceding the release of the ball for a goal.

Art. 10.4             The ball does not become dead and the goal counts if made when:

• The ball is in the control of a shooter for a goal who finishes his/her shot with a
  continuous motion which started before a foul is committed by any opponent player or on any person permitted to sit on the opponents’ team bench.

Outcome: Incorrect decision from the referees. The foul created by White 1 occurred just before Blue 12 received the ball, so the act of shooting had not started yet. Blue 2 should have been awarded with 2 free throws for the personal foul.

This situation can only by reviewed by the referees using the Instant Replay System (IRS) during the last 2 minutes of the 4^th quarter and the last 2 minutes of each overtime:

F.3.2                    The following game situations may be reviewed when the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the fourth quarter and in each overtime:

• when a foul was committed away from a shooting situation:
• whether the act of shooting had started when the foul was committed by an
  opponent of the shooter.

However, even if the referees are not authorised to use the IRS in such a situation in this moment of the game, a Head Coach has the right to use his/her head coach challenge at any time of the game in the situations subject to IRS review without any time restriction:

F. 4,2: Only the game situations as in the Appendix F.3 may be challenged. The time restrictions within Appendix F.3 do not apply. The head coach’s challenge may be requested at any time in the game.

Tough Call 3: JDA Dijon vs Peristeri bwin - Foul in the act of shooting

Blue 14 receives the ball and dribbles to the basket. A foul is called to White 15, and the referee awards the basket and 1 free throw to Blue 14.

Art. 15.1.3          The act of shooting in a continuous movement on a drive to the basket or other moving shot:
• Starts when the ball has come to rest in the player’s hand(s), upon completion of a dribble or a catch in the air and the player begins, in the judgment of the referee, the shooting motion preceding the release of the ball for a goal.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Blue 14 had already started his act of shooting, so the basket is valid. Blue 14 shall be awarded 1 free throw.

Tough Call 4: Rytas Vilnius vs PAOK mateco - Personal Foul vs Unsportsmanlike Foul

White 10 starts a transition and once he has crossed the centre line, Black 8 creates a contact and the referees call a personal foul. After a short discussion, the referees decide to use the IRS to check if the foul should be upgraded to an unsportsmanlike foul. After the review, the initial decision is confirmed: personal foul.

F.3.3                    The following game situations may be reviewed at any time of the game:

• whether a personal, unsportsmanlike, or disqualifying foul met the criteria for such a foul or shall be upgraded or downgraded or shall be considered as a technical foul.

Art. 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. The illegal contact created by Black 8 did not meet the criteria to be considered as an unsportsmanlike foul. Black 8 had a legal guarding position and tried to play the ball. The contact created was not an unnecessary contact to stop the progress of the offensive team in transition. The game will be resumed with a White team throw-in from the place closest to where the foul occurred and 20 seconds on the shot clock.