MIES (Switzerland) - Experts analyze all Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL 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: Rytas Vilnius vs. Legia Warszawa - Foul on airborne shooter
Green #0 finishes his dribble with a jump shot. The referee calls a foul on defender, White #43.
Article 33.2: During the game, each player has the right to occupy any position (cylinder) on the court not already occupied by an opponent.
This principle protects the space on the court which the player occupies and the space above when jumping vertically within that space.
Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. White #43 entered into Green #0 cylinder creating a contact while the shooter was airborne inside his own cylinder and, therefore, the defender created an illegal contact. Green #0 shall be awarded two free throws.
TC2: Trapani Shark vs. La Laguna Tenerife - Blocking foul
Red #7 receives the ball and starts a dribble to the basket. A contact with Yellow #21 occurs. The referee calls a foul on Yellow #21.
Article 33.4: When judging a charge/block situation involving a player with the ball, a referee shall use the following principles:
The defensive player must establish an initial legal guarding position by facing the player with the ball and having both feet on the court.
The defensive player may remain stationary, jump vertically, move laterally or move backwards in order to maintain the initial legal guarding position.
When moving to maintain the initial legal guarding position, one foot or both feet may be off the court for an instant, as long as the movement is lateral or backwards, but not towards the player with the ball.
Contact must occur on the torso, in which case the defensive player would be considered as having been at the place of contact first.
Having established a legal guarding position, the defensive player may turn within the cylinder to avoid injury.
Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. Yellow #21 never established a legal guarding position on time, so he created a blocking foul. Red #7 shall be awarded two free throws.
TC3: Promitheas Patras BC Vikos Cola vs. MLP Academics Heidelberg - Illegal screen
White #10 dribbles the ball guarded by Blue #10. White #44 sets a screen and the referee calls an offensive foul to White #44.
Article 33.7: Illegal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:
Was moving when contact occurred.
Did not give sufficient distance in setting a screen outside the field of vision of a stationary opponent, when contact occurred.
Did not respect the elements of time and distance of an opponent in motion when contact occurred.
Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. White #44 was moving when he set the screen. Furthermore, even if he had been stationary when the screen was set, he never allowed time and distance to a moving opponent.
The ball shall be awarded to the opponents for a throw-in closest to where the foul occurred.