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: AEK v VEF Riga - Fake being fouled

Yellow 11 jumps to attempt a 3-point field goal and Black 2 tries to block the shot. After the shot, the referee calls a technical foul to Yellow 11.

Article 33.16: Fake is any action by a player to simulate that he has been fouled or to make theatrical exaggerated movements in order to create an opinion of being fouled.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. During his landing, Yellow 11 made theatrical exaggerated movements in order to create an opinion of having been fouled. As the Yellow Team had previously received a warning for a “fake being fouled” action, this new action must also be penalized with a technical foul. 

Tough Call 2: Falco Szombathely v Nutribullet Treviso - Substitution

After the last successful free throw by Yellow 9, Blue 8 requests a substitution and the timer sounds his signal to communicate the request. The referees say that the substitution is not possible.

Article 19.2.2: A substitution opportunity begins when:

• For both teams, the ball becomes dead following a successful last free throw.

Article 19.2.4: A player who has become a substitute and a substitute who has become a player cannot respectively re-enter the game or leave the game until the ball becomes dead again, after a clock-running phase of the game.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Blue 8, who was a player, left the court and became a substitute after the personal foul was called. After the free throws he wanted to re-enter the court. Even if this is a substitution opportunity, he cannot re-enter the court as the game clock has not run since, he left the court.

Tough Call 3: JDA Dijon v Unicaja - Travelling

White 21 receives the ball in the low post, he squares up and jumps to attempt a 2-point field goal. The ball enters the basket and the referee calls a personal foul to Green 33 for illegal use of hands on the shooter.

Article 25.2.1: To pass or shoot for a field goal, the player may jump off a pivot foot, but neither foot may be returned to the floor before the ball is released from the hand(s).

Outcome: Incorrect decision from the referees. White 21 lifted both feet and both touched the floor again before releasing the ball. This is a travelling violation by White 31. There should be no foul called and the basket should be cancelled. The game would be resumed with a Green Team throw-in from the free-throw line extended in their backcourt and 24 seconds on the shot clock.

Tough Call 4: Nizhny Novgorod v Lavrio Megabolt - Offensive foul & Technical foul

Blue 25 sets a screen for his teammate Blue 1. There is a contact and the referee calls an offensive foul to Blue 1. Later on, a technical foul is called to Blue Team bench for complaining.

Article 33.11     It is a foul by an offensive player without the ball to ‘push off’ to create more space for him.

Article 36.2.2: A technical foul by any person permitted to sit in the team bench is a foul for disrespectfully communicating with or touching the referees, the commissioner, the table officials or the opponents.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. When defender, White 3, tried to move around the screen, Blue 1 used his left arm to create more space for him and prevent the defender chasing him. This is an offensive foul by Blue 1.

Afterwards, the technical foul to the Blue Team bench was also correct as such open and demonstrative signs of disagreement with the referees’ decisions cannot be tolerated. The White Team shall attempt one free throw for the technical foul and then the game shall be resumed with a White Team throw-in at the place closest to where the foul occurred.