04 October, 2022
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23/12/2022
Tough Calls
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Tough Calls - Week 10

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: S.L. Benfica vs Limoges CSP - Travelling

Red 96 receives the ball and drives to the basket. At the moment of his pass to, Red 34, the referee calls a travelling violation.

Art.  25.2.1 A player who catches the ball while he/she is progressing, or 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 court after gaining control of the ball.
  • The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the
    court or both feet touch the court simultaneously.

Outcome: Incorrect decision from the referees. Red 96 gained the control of the ball, allowing the ball to rest in his hand, while his left foot was touching the floor (the so-called step 0 or gathering step), so the first step occurred when his right foot touched the floor and the second step occurred when his left foot touched the floor again. Legal play.

 

Tough Call 2: Darussafaka vs Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem - Act of Violence

White 3 receives the ball whilst being guarded by Red 0. He starts to dribble, and the game continues.

Art. 33.11          The touching of an opponent with the hand(s) is, in itself, not necessarily a foul. The referees shall decide whether the player who caused the contact has gained an advantage. If contact caused by a player in any way restricts the freedom of movement of an opponent, such contact is a foul.

Art. 37.1.1         An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact foul which, in the judgement of a referee is:
• Contact with an opponent and not legitimately attempting to directly play the ball within the spirit and intent of the rules.
• Excessive, hard contact caused by a player in an effort to play the ball or an
opponent.

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 proves 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.
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: Incorrect decisions from the referees. White 3 committed a travelling violation after receiving the ball. Then, although Red 0 touched his opponent with his hand, the referees determined that this contact was minor and did not have any effect on White 3’s freedom of movement. Later on, White 3 committed a travelling violation as he moved both feet before releasing the ball to start his dribble. Finally, the contact created by White 3 met the criteria to be considered as an Unsportsmanlike Foul as it was a hard, excessive contact in a non-natural basketball movement with the arm, with the elbow hitting Red 0’s face. Even if the referees didn’t recognize it on the spot, they could have reviewed the situation with the IRS as a potential act of violence. Also, if the Red Team Head Coach has not used his Head Coach’s Challenge previously, this is one situation that can be challenged.

 

Tough Call 3: Filou Oostende vs Hapoel Atsmon Holon - Unsportsmanlike Foul

Purple 4 is running on a fastbreak ready to receive a long pass when the referees call an Unsportsmanlike Foul to Yellow 15. The Yellow Team Head Coach requests his Head Coach’s Challenge.

Art. 37.1.1         An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact which, in the judgement of a referee is:

  • An illegal contact caused by a player from behind or laterally on an opponent, who is progressing towards the opponent’s basket and with no opponents between the progressing player and the basket, and
  • the progressing player is in control of the ball, or
  • the progressing player is attempting to gain control of the ball, or
  • the ball has been released on a pass to the progressing player.
    This applies until the offensive player starts his/her act of shooting.

F.4.2                    For the head coach’s challenge the following procedure shall apply:
• The head coach shall be granted only one head coach’s challenge in a game, regardless of whether the challenge is successful or not.
• 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.
• The head coach requesting a challenge shall establish visual contact with the nearest referee and ask clearly for his/her head coach`s challenge. He/she shall say loudly in English “challenge” and at the same time show the head coach’s challenge signal (drawing a rectangular with the hands). The request shall be final and irreversible

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Yellow 15 grabbed Purple 4’s left arm from behind with no other Yellow team player between Purple 4 and the opponents’ basket before Purple 4 had received the ball that had been released on a pass to him. Therefore, the act of shooting has not started yet. This illegal contact meets the criteria to be considered an Unsportsmanlike Foul. Purple 4 shall attempt 2 free throws with no line-up and the game shall be resumed with a Purple team throw-in from the throw-in line in their frontcourt and 14 seconds in the shot clock.

 

Tough Call 4: Bnei Ofek Dist Herzliya vs Peristeri bwin - Travelling

White 0 steals the ball and starts a fastbreak, which he ends with a successful lay-up. The game continues.

Art.  25.2.1 A player who catches the ball while he/she is progressing, or 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 court after gaining
  • The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the
    court or both feet touch the court simultaneously.

Outcome: Incorrect decision from the referees. White 0 gained the control of the ball, allowing the ball to rest in his hand, while his left foot was touching the floor (the so-called step 0 or gathering step), so the first step occurred when his right foot touched the floor and the second step occurred when his left foot touched the floor again. However, his right foot touched the floor again before releasing the ball for the lay-up. This is a travelling violation.