04 October, 2022
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04/11/2022
Tough Calls
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Tough Calls - Week 5

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: Rytas Vilnius vs Peristeri bwin - Head Coach's Challenge

The ball goes out of bounds and the referee decides that the last player to touch the ball on the court was Blue 12. Therefore, a throw-in is awarded to the White team. The Blue Team Head Coach requests a Head Coach’s Challenge.

F.3.2 The following game situations may be reviewed when the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the fourth quarter and in each overtime:

  • To identify the player who has caused the ball to go out-of-bounds.

F.4.2 For the Head Coach's Challenge the following procedure shall apply:

* 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

Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. A Head Coach can request a Head Coach's Challenge in one of the reviewable play situations stated in Appendix F.3. To do so, he/she 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 their hands).

During the review, the referees found conclusive evidence that White 12 was the last player to touch the ball on the court. The ball was awarded to the Blue team for a throw-in.

 

Tough Call 2: ERA Nymburk vs Bahcesehir - Backcourt Violation

The White team has the control of the ball in their frontcourt.  White 2 dribbles back and gets close to the centre line. The referee calls a backcourt violation.

Article 30.1.2    A team in control of a live ball in the frontcourt has illegally returned the ball to its backcourt, if a player of that team is the last to touch the ball in his/her frontcourt and the ball is then first touched by a player of that team:
• Who has part of his/her body in contact with the backcourt, or
• After the ball has touched the backcourt of that team.

Article 2.5.2       The centre line is part of the backcourt.

Outcome:  Correct decision from the referee. White 2 was on his team’s frontcourt and touched the centre line with his left foot, thus returning the ball illegally to his team’s backcourt.

 

Tough Call 3: Darüssafaka vs MHP RIESEN - Unsportsmanlike Foul

Yellow 12 gets the ball from a rebound and starts a fast transition towards his opponents’ basket. Green 8 creates a contact and the referee calls a personal foul to Green 8.

F-3.3     The following game situations may be reviewed at any time of the game:

  • whether a personal, unsportsmanlike, or disqualifying foul met the criteria for such a foul or shall be upgraded or downgraded or shall be considered as a technical foul.

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

  • An unnecessary contact caused by the defensive player, in order to stop the progress of the offensive team in transition. This applies until the offensive player starts his/her act of shooting.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referee. Once Green 8 was beaten by the dribbler, he created a contact which was not a legitimate attempt to directly play the ball and is considered to be an unnecessary contact to stop the progress of the Yellow team in transition.