05 October, 2021
15 May, 2022
05/11/2021
Tough Calls
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Tough Calls - Gameday 5

MIES (Switzerland) - Each week, experts 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: Unicaja v JDA Dijon - Travelling

Green 83 receives the ball near the 3-point line and dribbles backwards moving closer to the basket. When he arrives at the low post, he finishes his dribble and squares up, making a lay-up and the ball enters into the basket. However, the referee calls a travelling violation.

Art. 25.1.2 A pivot is the legal movement in which a player who is holding a live ball on the playing court steps once or more than once in any direction with the same foot while the other foot, called the pivot foot, is kept at its point of contact with the floor.

Art. 25.2.1 A player who catches the ball (…) upon completion of a dribble may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing, or shooting the ball.

The first step occurs when one foot or both feet touch the floor after gaining control of the ball.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Green 83 finishes his dribble catching the ball with his left foot on the floor (step 0) and his right foot in the air. Then, he puts his right foot on the floor, thus becoming his pivot foot. In order to square up, he lifts his pivot foot and puts it again on the floor before releasing the ball. This is a travelling violation for not keeping the pivot foot at its point of contact with the floor. The basket is cancelled and the White Team will be awarded a throw-in from the free throw line extended.

 

Tough Call 2: Lavrio Megabolt v Nizhny Novgorod - Travelling

Black 19 finishes his dribble being guarded by Yellow 26. He passes the ball to his teammate Black 32, who starts a dribble towards the opponents’ basket. He starts his act of shooting, laying the ball up and scoring. All the actions performed by both players with the ball are deemed legal by the referees.

Art. 25.1.2 A pivot is the legal movement in which a player who is holding a live ball on the playing court steps once or more than once in any direction with the same foot while the other foot, called the pivot foot, is kept at its point of contact with the floor.

Art. 25.2.1 A player who catches the ball (…) upon completion of a dribble may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing, or shooting the ball.

The first step occurs when one foot or both feet touch the floor after gaining control of the ball.

The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the floor or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.

Outcome: For the first action, incorrect decision from the referees. Black 19 finished his dribble with both feet on the floor. When he lifted his right foot, his left foot became his pivot foot. Black 19 lifted his pivot foot not keeping it at its point of contact with the floor and gained an advantage as he was able to face a teammate and find a passing lane.

In the second action, Black 32 finished his dribble catching the ball in his hands when his left foot was touching the floor (step 0). The first step, after gaining the control of the ball, was when his right foot touched the floor, then he put his left foot on the floor (step 2), jumped for a shot and released the ball before any foot returned to the floor again. No violation.

 

Tough Call 3:  Hereda San Pablo Burgos v EWE Baskets Oldenburg - Foul in the act of shooting and Technical foul

Yellow 12 drives to the basket and tries to make a lay-up. Black 22 defends the shot and a contact occurs. The referees consider that the defensive movement was legal and don’t call a personal foul. Then, Yellow 12 complains and receives a technical foul.

Art. 33.2 During the game, each player has the right to occupy any position (cylinder) on the playing court not already occupied by an opponent. This principle protects the space on the floor which he occupies and the space above him when he jumps vertically within that space.

The defensive player must not be penalised for leaving the floor vertically (within his cylinder) or having his hands and arms extended above him within his own cylinder.

Art. 36.2.1 A technical foul is a player non-contact foul of a behavioural nature including:

  • Disrespectfully dealing and/or communicating with the referees, the commissioner, the table officials, the opponents or persons permitted to sit on the team benches.

Outcome: First, incorrect decision by the referees. Yellow 12 had an open path to the basket and defender Black 22 did not jump vertically (within his own cylinder). He jumped towards Yellow 12, creating an illegal contact that should have been called as a personal foul and 2 free throws should have been awarded to Yellow 12.

However, Yellow 12 reaction was excessive, with open and demonstrative signs of disagreement with the referee decision. The decision to call the technical foul was correct as this behaviour is not allowed on the playing court. Any player of the Black Team shall attempt one free throw and the game will be resumed with a Black Team throw-in from the place nearest to where the ball was located when the game was stopped; in their back court and 24 seconds shall be put onto the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 4: Besiktas Icrypex v Rytas Vilnius - 3 seconds

The White Team is on offence. The ball arrives to White 51 in the corner, who then passes the ball to White 3 in the restricted area. White 3 dribbles and passes the ball back to White 51. The referees call a 3 second violation.

Art. 26.1.1 A player shall not remain in the opponents’ restricted area for more than 3 consecutive seconds while his team is in control of a live ball in the frontcourt and the game clock is running.

Art. 26.1.2 Allowances must be made for a player who:

  • Dribbles in the restricted area to shoot for a field goal after having been there for less than 3 consecutive seconds.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. After trying to set a screen, White 3 dived to the basket. When he received the ball, he had been in the restricted area for approximately 3 seconds, so the referees allowed him to dribble in order to see if he decided to shoot for a field goal. However, White 3, who was being guarded by 2 defenders, decided to pass the ball back to White 51. Allowance must be made only if the player dribbles to shoot, not to pass. The White team gained an advantage because of White 3 staying for more than 3 seconds in the opponents’ restricted area and being guarded by 2 opponents. The advantage was the free space created for White 51 under the opponents’ basket. The Black Team will be awarded a throw-in from the place nearest to the infraction.