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: UCAM Murcia vs Darussafaka - Foul and Interference

Black 0 receives a pass and jumps for a shot. White 0 tries to block the shot and the referee calls a personal foul to White 0. Then, White 13 grabs the ring and makes the backstop unit vibrate. The referee awards the field goal. The referees decide to review the IRS to check any eventual act of violence against White 0.

Art. 31.2.4          Interference occurs when:

• A player causes the basket to vibrate or grasps the basket in such a way that, in the judgement of a referee, the ball has been prevented from entering the basket or has been caused to enter the basket.

OBRI F.3.3.21    In situations when an act of violence occurs which is not called immediately,
referees are authorised to stop the game at any time to review any act of violence or potential act of violence. The referees must identify the need for the IRS review and the review must take place when the referees have stopped the game for the first time.
If the review provides evidence an act of violence has occurred, the referees shall call the infraction and penalise all already called infractions including the act of violence in the order the infractions occurred. Whatever occurred during the interval between the act of violence and the game being stopped shall remain valid.
If the review provides there was no act of violence, the original decision remains valid. The game shall be resumed from the place nearest to where the game was interrupted for the review.
An act of violence is an act of force that causes or is intended to cause harm, or an act that results or could result in a risk of injury. An act that does not meet the criteria of a disqualifying foul or an unsportsmanlike foul, a technical foul, or does not meet the criteria for a threatened violence is not an act of violence.

Outcome: Correct decision. There was no act of violence against White 0. Black 0 is awarded 2 points for White 13’s violation and Black 0 will attempt 1 free throw.

Tough Call 2: UCAM Murcia vs Darussafaka - Foul not in the act of shooting

White 25 passes the ball to White 21 for an alley-oop. The referee call a personal foul to Black 8 on White 27 and cancels the basket.

Art. 34.2.1         If the foul is committed on a player not in the act of shooting:
• The game shall be resumed with a throw-in by the non-offending team from the place nearest to the infraction.

Art. 17.2.9         Whenever the ball enters the basket, but the goal or the last free throw is not valid, the game shall be resumed with a throw-in from the free-throw line extended.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. Black 8 grabbed White 27 before White 21 received the ball to make a dunk. The game shall be resumed with a throw-in for the White team on the side line from the free-throw line extended and 14 seconds on the shot clock.

Tough Call 3: BAXI Manresa vs Bahcesehir College - Charge without the ball

White 5 drives to the basket. He jumps and while airborne he passes the ball to a teammate in the corner. After releasing the ball, a contact occurs with Red 00. The referee calls an offensive foul.

Art. 33.4             When judging a charge/block situation involving a player with the ball, a referee shall use the following principles:
• The defensive player must establish an initial legal guarding position by facing
the player with the ball and having both feet on the court.
• The defensive player may remain stationary, jump vertically, move laterally or
backwards in order to maintain the initial legal guarding position.
• When moving to maintain the initial legal guarding position, one foot or both feet may be off the court for an instant, as long as the movement is lateral or
backwards, but not towards the player with the ball.
• Contact must occur on the torso, in which case the defensive player would be
considered as having been at the place of contact first.
• Having established a legal guarding position, the defensive player may turn
within his/her cylinder to avoid injury.

Art. 33.8             Charging is illegal personal contact, with or without the ball, by pushing or moving into an opponent’s torso.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. White 5 charged Red 00, who had a legal guarding position outside of the no-charge semicircle before White 5 jumped off. The game shall be resumed with a Red team throw-in from the place closest to where the foul occurred.