South Dakota High School Activities Association
Fe b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 7
A u t h o r : B u c k T i mmi n s
Crunch Time
February/March is crunch time for basketball. The teams are fighting for conference
championships and high seeds for the state play-offs. Each of the remaining games takes on
more importance.
Teams want to be at their best and so should we as officials. Our concentration and
game calling skills should be at optimum. We must give 100% each and every game we
officiate. It is important that officials concentrate on being consistent in calling violations and
communicating appropriately what you are seeing.
There is no excuse for making errors on rules enforcement and not using proper
positioning and proper mechanics. We have to get in the best position possible to clearly see
the play which minimizes our chances significantly to getting it wrong. We must use our
proper NFHS mechanics to communicate with the timer, our crew members, coaches, and
fans. We cannot allow laziness or lack of respect to deter us from performing to our
maximum.
If you prepare yourself, know the game, know how to apply the rules, use proper
positioning, and mechanics and give 100% every game, you and your crew members can feel
proud of your achievements. Remember, we only cheat ourselves when we do not give our
very best.
Seek out the game management prior to the game to review strange or confrontational
situations that can happen. The pressure of February/March makes more of an opportunity
for the unusual. Never be surprised by anything that happens on or off the floor!!!
Starting Five Second Count!
There is no minimum distance required between the guard and the opponent, but the
maximum is 6 feet when closely guarded (4-23-1). A player shall not while closely guarded
hold the ball or dribble the ball for five seconds while in his/her frontcourt (9-10-1a).
In closely guarded situations, apply the rule! A closely guarded count does not require
“in your face” defense. The rule does not require the defender to get so close to the opponent
who has control of the ball that he/she can be easily beaten to the basket. It is a point of
emphasis that still needs a lot of attention as to when to start five second count.
Freedom of Movement
Players moving without the ball cannot be impeded illegally. They must be given an
opportunity to stop, and or change direction without being chucked, pushed, or held.
Officials should concentrate, look off ball, watch the play develop, and call fouls when needed.
Freedom of movement is critical to the game of basketball. Freedom of movement is
just as important to the defensive team as it is to the offensive team. Offensive teams can
commit illegal acts that hinder defensive freedom of movement as well, specifically, illegal
screens.
Players without the ball who are “cutting” to the basket are the basic part of many
offensive schemes that involve a great deal of “movement.” Defenders like to reroute cutters
to upset the timing of the offensive set and change passing lane angles.
In the three-person officiating system, officiating cutters is often the responsibility of
the Center officials. If the center official is a “ball watcher” and doesn’t focus on what is
happening in his/her primary, the offense is often put at a disadvantage and the game gets
rougher and more physical.
Not all cuts originate from the weak side, so lead and trail officials have to be aware of
cuts from the strong side as well. The back cut from the strong side is often defended by a
grab or hold by a beaten defender.
Intentional Foul
The SDHSAA is seeing a trend, in which, at the end of games, teams are choosing to
foul a player that is clearly away from the ball who is not directly involved with the play,
specifically designed to stop the clock or keep the clock from starting.
This tactic is also taking place to foul a low percentage free throw shooter from the
opposing team late in a close game, even though at times the player is far away from the play
and not attempting to get involved, (just standing there). This type of foul needs to be ruled as
an intentional foul. Two free throws to the offended team and ball out of bounds spot nearest
the foul. This is not to be confused with a foul at the end of a game on a player that IS directly
involved in the play (i.e. player attempting to get open to receive a pass, getting held).
During end of game situations it is not uncommon for a team to foul players in an
attempt to put them on the free throw line hoping they will miss and give the team behind an
opportunity for another possession and ability to score. The challenge for officials is to know
the difference between an intentional foul and a strategic foul. Strategic fouls are a playing
strategy. Officials must be able to recognize the difference and call the foul appropriately.
A strategic foul is one that involves illegal contact while legitimately trying to steal the
ball, even though the underlying intent is to stop the clock. An intentional foul has the same
intent, that is to stop the clock or prevent it from starting, but it is done without playing the
ball. It is done by grabbing the uniform of the player with the ball or grabbing him/her
around the waist or by grabbing them with two hands.
NFHS Rule 4-19-3 – An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may
not be premeditated and is not based solely on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include,
but are not limited to: Contact that neutralizes an opponent’s obvious advantageous position;
contact away from the ball with an opponent who is clearly not involved in the play; contact
that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball/player specifically designed to stop the clock or
keep it from starting; excessive contact with an opponent while playing the ball; contact with
the thrower-in as in 9-2-10 Penalty.
Illegal Screens
Permitting an illegal screen is a tremendous advantage for the offensive team. To
establish a legal screening position: 1) the screener may face any direction, 2) Time and
distance are relevant, 3) The screener must be stationary, except when both are moving in the
same direction, 4) The screener must stay within his/her vertical plane with a stance
approximately shoulder width apart.
We are seeing players who are positioning themselves to set a screen with feet that are
much wider than shoulder width. The other common illegal screen is once the screener is
positioned, they then stick out a knee or hip and contact the defender knocking them off their
path. Officials with off ball coverage need to see the whole play and make the appropriate call.
Rotations
Officials rotate to put the officiating crew in the best possible position to officiate the
play at hand. The crew does not want to rotate too early and certainly doesn’t want to rotate
too late.
Lead officials want a wider look when the ball is on the strong side, especially when the
ball is located where it can be entered to the post. When the ball is located up on top, or has
crossed the basket line, the lead must get closed down to be in a position to initiate a timely
rotation. The lead wants to be ball side before the ball is entered to the post, if at all possible.
The SDHSAA is often seeing lead officials who have the appropriate wide position
when the ball is strong side stay in that positon when the ball leaves the strong side to the top
of the key or even to the weak side. These officials have way too far to rotate and as a result
are not seeing the action of post play.
Center officials, when seeing the lead rotating across the lane, realize they are now the
trail and think they have to get out and be the trail.
Center officials, if you know the lead is coming over, just stay with your good look at
the action in the lane area, the possibility of a steal, illegal screens, a three point shot and
shooter getting fouled. Stay with your good look and wait for the sequence to dissolve before
becoming the trail. Don’t leave the good look you have just to get to where the Mechanics
Manual says the trail should be. Stay there and officiate.
When the trail official sees the lead official move to the close down position (when the
ball is being passed from strong side to weak side) the trail should start moving down toward
the center position. This could leave the officiating crew with two center officials which is
better than two trail officials. This position will give the new center looks for illegal screens,
bumping cutters, curl plays and positioning for rebounding action.
Mid Season Resolutions
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Enforce “freedom of movement”.
o Review NFHS 4-24 as it relates to legal and illegal use of the hands/arms. Know
when to enforce illegal contact inhibiting a player’s freedom of movement.
Communicate with one another.
o Are you maintaining good “eye contact” with your partners at all times? Do you
verbalize clearly at the spot of the foul (or violation). Make sure to drop the whistle
and sell things that need selling—loud enough to be heard by all.
Officiate every possession hard.
o Think officiating in chunks of “2 minutes” at a time and never take a break on a
possession. Work hard and be in the right spot to make the proper ruling – “every
time.”
Disqualified Player
A disqualified player is one who is barred from further participation in the game
because of having committed his/her fifth foul (personal and technical), two technical fouls or
a flagrant foul.
A player is officially disqualified and becomes bench personal when the coach is
notified by an official.
Once the coach is notified, the disqualified player becomes bench personal and any
subsequent technical foul on that disqualified player is also charged indirectly to the head
coach.
A technical foul charged to a player on the floor is NOT charged indirectly to the head
coach. It counts as one of his/her two technical, counts toward his/her five personal fouls,
counts to team-foul count.
Double Whistles
Involving A Violation and A Personal Foul
What happens when two officials have double whistles involving a violation and a
personal foul? Example might be if one official has a travel and the other official has a
personal foul.
The key component to understand is you can’t enforce both rulings. There is no rules
coverage to administer the acts as occurring simultaneously. Something happened first; the
violation or the foul, and you have to quickly make the correct determination.
If the officials decided the violation occurred first, the ball becomes dead, and the
personal foul would be ignored, unless it was deemed intentional or flagrant. If the crew
agreed the contact caused player to travel, then the foul would be enforced.
Maintaining good eye contact with your partner(s), and be listening for the sound of
another whistle being blown, particularly on plays in the areas of dual coverage. This will go a
long way to reducing the number of differing preliminary signals on double whistles.
Read and Study Case Book Plays 2.6 SITUATION A and 2.6 SITUATION B.
Steps To Call The Plays Right
See The Whole Play. If you only see the tail end of the play, you don’t have enough
information to make the right call. When you only see part of the play, you’ll tend to make
“reactionary” decisions—meaning you’ll react to certain things like contact and blow the
whistle even though you’re not quite sure. Instead of reacting to plays, you must gather all the
information from start to finish and judge the complete play.
Judge The Contact’s Impact. Not all contact is a foul, but all contact is a decision.
Every bump, chuck, hit, touch or slap needs a decision, foul or no call. Too many officials use
advantage-disadvantage as an excuse to not blow the whistle. When that happens, rough play
escalates. Not all contact is the same. A slight bump on a solid screener likely has little impact.
A slight bump on an airborne shooter is not slight at all. Each contact must be judged in
relation to its impact. If it alters a shot or displaces a player, call the foul.
Don’t Anticipate. You want to do everything you can to get ready for a play: get in
position, watch it from start to finish. You need to anticipate action and be ready for it.
Call Similar Plays. That does not mean “even the foul totals.” If you’re refereeing the
foul totals, you’re not refereeing the game fairly. If you are consistence in your approach and
philosophy with foul calling and it is within the auspices of the rules book, you will be
consistent. Apply the consistent applications in the rules book and you will be consistent.
Officials Quiz
Question 1: A24 while closely guarded, dribbles across the division line and while in Team
A’s frontcourt: (a) dribbles for five seconds, or (b) dribbles for three seconds and then holds
the ball for four seconds before passing the ball to A15. Do you have a violation in (a) and (b)?
Question 2: While dribbling in Team A’s front court, A44 is closely guarded by B11. After
two seconds, B21 also assumes a closely guarded position on A44 and B11 leaves to guard A12.
Does the closely guarded count continue?
Question 3: Late in the fourth quarter Team B is trailing by six points. Team B’s head coach
begins to yell to his or her players to “foul, foul, foul!” B1 responds by (a) grabbing A1 from
behind; (b) reaching for the ball but illegally contacting A1 on the arm. What type of foul is
called?
Question 4: A3 has the ball out of bounds for a throw-in with 3.2 seconds left in the game. A3
throws the ball inbounds and it is kicked by B3 defending the throw-in. The clock starts and
the officials re-administer a new throw-in with 2.8 seconds left. Should the clock have started?
Question 5: A1 has the ball out of bounds for a throw-in. A1 completes the throw-in to A2
and then purposefully delays his/her return by taking four or five steps along the end line
prior to coming inbounds behind a screen set by A3 and A4. A1 gets a return pass from A2
and takes an unchallenged try for goal. Is this a legal play?
Question 6: A1 is fouled by B1 while Team A is in the bonus. The covering official is at the
table reporting the foul when A1 is charged with a technical foul by the official who is
observing the players. The foul is his/her fifth. Does A1 get to shot the free throws?
Question 7: After A1’s successful goal falls through the net, but prior to Team B retrieving
the ball for the throw-in, A2 intentionally bats the ball away from Team B. This is the first
time such an action has occurred. What is the result?
Question 8: Team A has a (a) designated spot throw-in, or (b) alternating possession throw-in
along the end line. Thrower A1 extends the ball with his/her arms over the end line such that
part of the forearms, hands, and the ball are entirely on the inbounds side of the boundary
line. B2 slaps A1 on the wrist and dislodges the ball. What is the ruling?
Question 9: Team A is in the bonus. After A1’s first free throw is released, A2 fouls B2 along
the lane. A1’s try is successful. Team B is not in the bonus. How is play resumed?
Question 10: A1 and B1 foul one another at approximately the same time. The contact occurs
during (a) a live-ball situation; or (b) a dead-ball situation. What is the ruling?
Officials or Coaches
If you have a question about a rule interpretation, a play situation or a mechanic question
that officials/coaches statewide should know about or the SDHSAA should know about to
help make the game of basketball better for everyone involved in the game of basketball—
please send your concerns to be included in the weekly bulletins.
Send your concerns to Buck Timmins at
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[email protected]
Cell Phone: 605-933-1493
Home Phone: 605-996-1486
Quiz Answers
Rule 1: Violation in (a) and Team B’s ball because the five-second count was reached during
the dribble in the front court. Legal action in (b).
Rule 2: The closely guarded count continues. There in no requirement for the defender
player to remain the same during the count as long as A44 is closely guarded throughout.
Rule 3: : In (a) it is an intentional foul. In (b) a common foul shall be called because B1 was
making a legitimate attempt to “play the ball.”Fouling near the end of a game is an acceptable
coaching and playing strategy. Officials must determine if a foul is intentional by judging the
fouling act itself, now whether or not the coach instructed a player to perform the act.
Rule 4: The officials were correct to re-administer the throw-in but should have corrected the
clock. The clock should not start on a kicked throw-in pass since the throw-in was not legally
touched. If a non-designated spot throw-in, team A would not lose the right to move along the
end line for the ensuing throw-in.
Rule 5: A1 is charged with a technical foul for purposefully delaying his/her return to the
court following the throw-in. A1’s movement out of bounds along the end line was to take
advantage of the screen and return to the court in a more advantageous position.
Rule 6: A1 is disqualified as both personal and technical fouls are counted. Because A1 has
been disqualified he/she will not be allowed to attempt the free throw(s) resulting from B1’s
foul. The substitute for A1 will attempt the free throw(s).
Rule 7: A delay-of-game warning is assessed to Team A. In situations with the clock running
and five or less seconds left in the game, a throw-in plane violation or interfering with the ball
following a goal should be ignored if its only purpose is to stop the clock. However, if the tactic
in any way interferes with the thrower’s efforts to make a throw-in, a technical foul for delay
shall be called, even though no previous warning had been issued. In this situation, if the
official stopped the clock and issued a team warning, it would allow the team to benefit from
the tactic.
Rule 8: In (a) and (b), when a defender makes contact with the thrower-in, the result is an
intentional foul. Where A1’s arms are located (on the inbounds or out-of-bounds side of the
boundary line) is immaterial. A1 is awarded two free throws and Team A awarded a throw-in
at the spot nearest the foul. In (b) since the throw-in did not end, the arrow remains with
Team A.
Rule 9: Since A2 fouled during a successful bonus free-throw attempt for A1, that is a false
double foul situation. With team B not in the bonus, play would be resumed with team B
receiving a non-designated spot throw-in if A1’s second free throw is successful. If A1’s
second free throw is not successful, it will be a designated spot throw-in to team B nearest to
where the foul by A2 occurred. A1’s second free throw is administered with no players in
marked lane spaces.
Rule 10: In (a), it is a double personal foul and in (b), it is a double technical foul. No free
throws awarded in (a) or (b) and play resumes at the point of interruption.