MIES (Switzerland) - Experts analyze all BCL games each week. In order to improve the understanding of referees' decisions and to increase transparency, we publish some of those Tough Calls, along with an explanation.

TC1: UCAM MURCIA vs. AEK BETSSON BC - Unsportsmanlike foul

Red 12 drives towards the opponents’ basket and tries to make a lay-up. Black 20 creates a contact on Red 12 and the referee calls an 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 by the referees. The contact created by Black 20 on Red 12’s head is considered an excessive, hard contact. Red 12 shall attempt 2 free throws and the game will be resumed with a Red team throw-in from the throw-in line in their frontcourt and 14 seconds on the shot clock.

TC2: HAPOEL BANK YAHAV JERUSALEM vs. PERISTERI BWIN - Foul not in the act of shooting

Yellow 1 passes the ball to Yellow 15. Black 44 tries to defend the mismatch and creates a contact. The referees call a foul in the act of shooting and award 2 free throws to Yellow 15.

Article 15.3.1:  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: Incorrect decision by the referees. When the contact occurred, Yellow 15 had not caught the ball in the air yet, so the act of shooting had not started. The game should have been resumed with a Yellow team throw-in from the place closest to where the foul occurred, except directly behind the backboard, and 16 seconds on the shot clock.

TC3: LENOVO TENERIFE vs. PINAR KARSIYAKA - Travelling/Unsportsmanlike foul

After receiving the ball, Black 35 starts a drive towards’ the opponent basket and afterwards, White 30 creates an illegal contact, holding Black 35’s right arm. One of the referees calls a travelling violation to Black 35 while another referee calls an unsportsmanlike foul to White 30.

The officiating crew meet and decide that both infractions must be called in the order in which they occurred. They award 2 free throws to Black 35, and the game is resumed with a Black team throw-in from the throw-in line in their frontcourt and 14 seconds on the shot clock.

OBRI 29/50-4: Example: A1’s shot for a goal at the end of a shot clock period is legally blocked by B1. The shot clock signal sounds. B1 fouls A1.
Interpretation: This is a shot clock violation by team A. B1’s foul against A1 shall be disregarded unless it is an unsportsmanlike foul or a disqualifying foul.

Article 42.1: In the same game clock stopped period which follows an infraction, special situations may arise when additional infraction(s) are or have been committed.

Article 42.2.2 : The order in which all infractions occurred shall be determined.

Article 42.2.5: The right to possession of the ball as part of the last penalty to be administered shall cancel any prior rights to possession of the ball.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. Black 35 committed a travelling violation, which should be penalized with a throw-in for the opponents. However, the contact created afterwards by White 30 is an unsportsmanlike foul and cannot be disregarded. The penalty for this unsportsmanlike foul is 2 free throws for Black 35 and a throw-in for the Black team from the throw-in line in their frontcourt and 14 seconds on the shot clock.
As both penalties must be penalized in the order in which the infractions occurred, the first right to possession of the ball for the White team is cancelled and the game is resumed with the penalty for the unsportsmanlike foul.

TC4: PROMITHEAS PATRAS vs. HAPOEL HOLON - Pushing

White 0 tries to set a screen for his teammate White 77 and a contact occurs. The referees call a foul to Purple 44.

Article 33.15: Pushing is illegal personal contact with any part of the body where a player forcibly moves or attempts to move an opponent with or without the ball.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. The first illegal contact was created by Purple 44, who pushed White 0, which resulted in, White 0 creating a contact against Purple 6. Purple 44 pushing foul is the correct decision. The game shall be resumed with a White team throw-in from the place closest to where the foul occurred and 15 seconds on the shot clock.