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: Cholet Basket vs. Tofas Bursa -- Instant Replay, personal foul, and act of shooting

Near the end of the game, White 7 gets the ball from a rebound and starts a fast transition towards the opponents’ basket. He makes a pass to his teammate White 11, who scores when the referee calls a personal foul to Green 33. After meeting with the rest of the crew, the referee decides that the illegal contact is a personal foul and that the basket is not valid and decides to check IRS to confirm the decisions.

After the review. they confirm the personal foul, basket not valid decision and reset the game clock to 2.9.

Article 37.1.1:  An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact 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.
• 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.
• 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.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.
• after a malfunction of the game clock or the shot clock occurs, on how much time the clock(s) shall be corrected. 

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:
• when a foul was committed away from a shooting situation, whether the act of            shooting had started when the foul was committed by an opponent of the shooter. 

Outcome: Correct decisions by the referees. The contact created by Green 33 did not meet any of the criteria to be considered an unsportsmanlike foul (it was a defensive basketball play, not a hard, excessive contact, the transition had ended and the player with the ball had already passed, so he was not in control of the ball).
When the foul occurred, White 11, did not have the ball in his hands, so the act of shooting had not started. The game shall be resumed with 2 free-throws for White 7 (team foul penalty) and 2.9 seconds in the game clock; the time remaining when the illegal contact occurred.

TC2: Lenovo Tenerife vs. Hapoel Jerusalem - Screening

The Black team are on offense. Black 9 is with the ball, being guarded by White 44. Black 19 sets a screen and the referee calls an offensive foul to Black 19.

Article 33.7: Legal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:
• Was stationary (inside his/her cylinder) when contact occurred.
• Had both feet on the court when contact occurred.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. Black 19 was not stationary when setting the screen and, at the point of contact, was outside his cylinder thus creating a blocking foul. The game shall be resumed with a White team throw-in from the place closest to where the foul occurred. 

TC3: MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg vs. JDA Dijon - Personal foul

The Yellow team gets the rebound and start a transition. Yellow 3 receives the ball and a contact with defender Red 15 occurs as he was trying to beat him and start a dribble. The referees call an offensive foul to Yellow 3.

Article 37.1.1:  An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact 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.

Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. Red 15 occupied a position on the court without creating any contact with his opponent. The contact created by Yellow 3 occurred during a normal basketball play, as he was moving the ball from side to side to try to beat the defender and start a dribble. The contact created by the arm of Yellow 3, into the face of Red 15, was not a hard, excessive contact. Team control personal foul is the correct  decision.

TC4: AEK BETSSON vs. Hapoel Holon - No goaltending

Yellow 3 makes a lay-up, the referee calls a personal foul to Purple 9, who then blocks the shot. The referees decide it was a legal block and award 2 free throws to Yellow 3.

Article 31.2.1:  Goaltending occurs during a shot for a goal when a player touches the ball while it is completely above the level of the ring and:
• It is on its downward flight to the basket, or
• After it has touched the backboard.

Outcome: Correct decision. The ball was still on its upward flight, and it was blocked before the ball touched the backboard. The game shall be resumed with 2 free throws for Yellow 3.