When is a blow to the Head not a foul?

[Skeets]

What makes me crazy is when a defender barely touches a player's shooting hand AFTER the ball is released and is called for a foul, while vicious hits on drives are just "incidental" contact, no foul. There is no, what is the word I'm looking for, -- equivalence.

 

[HopJim]

NFL wide receivers don't use the straight arm hit to the defenders head as much as Kansas did. Random contact I understand but this was clearly a tactic taught and encouraged.

 

[Rowdy831]

We'll need a basketball lawyer to weigh in (@stamfordhusky , where are you?), but I don't think the bolded statement above is necessarily correct. I think you meant to say that "if it is seen by an official, it is at least a common foul." Officials can call the common foul and then review the replay to determine whether it warrants an upgrade to "intentional".

By the way, "intentional" doesn't mean what it sounds like -- it doesn't require the official to determine that the player intended to hit the opponent in the head, only that it was careless and not the result of a normal basketball play. The term "flagrant" (used in the WNBA) would be more descriptive than "intentional". (Never mind that truly intentional fouls by the losing team near the end of the game, for the purpose of stopping the clock, are never called intentional and normally do not involve any risk of injury to the player who is fouled.)

However, you are correct that if the refs do not see or call the contact to the head during live action, they may still review the play to see if it warrants a flagrant/intentional foul. (This will usually happen because the player who receives the facial hit is on the floor in obvious discomfort.) If the replay results in a determination that the foul was flagrant/intentional, then it can be called and free throws can be awarded, BUT if it does not rise to the level of flagrant/intentional, the officials cannot retrospectively call a common foul even though that's what it was.

Is this correct? Is it comprehensible?

I agree with your clarification. The issue is any foul called using video results in free throws where a common foul only does if the team is in the bonus or the player was shooting. Replay to me in all sports seems like more problems than solutions so let them play and give each team a couple challenges a game to use. That way the flow isn't dictated by officials.

 

[CTBballfan243]

I am simply a fan of UConn basketball, not a former player, coach or sportswriter. Will somebody please explain why our players repeatedly take blows to the eye, nose, mouth and head with completely different foul calls or lack thereof?

Basketball is a contact sport. It you play it you're gonna get knocked around.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Basketball officiating can be so bad, at times. The NCAA makes so much money, they need to make it so that being a referee is a full time job with off season training updates, etc.

The only way that happens is if the NCAA takes over officiating, removing it from the hands of the Conferences' "Head of Officials."
They'd then have to create a fully funded body across D1/2/3 that supervised, trained, recruited, evaluated, assigned, paid, insured, etc. etc.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

The only way that happens is if the NCAA takes over officiating, removing it from the hands of the Conferences' "Head of Officials."
They'd then have to create a fully funded body across D1/2/3 that supervised, trained, recruited, evaluated, assigned, paid, insured, etc. etc.

I thought in basketball it was handled by the NCAA. In football, it's handled by the conferences.

 

[oldhusky]

OK on a humorous note, I remember a long long time ago reporters were interviewing John Havlichek after a Celtics game and he had a big black eye. The reporter asked how come a foul wasn't called when he got that, and Havlichek said I guess I fouled his elbow with my eye!

 

[reelfan]

When it's a UCONN player getting hit.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I thought in basketball it was handled by the NCAA. In football, it's handled by the conferences.

My understanding (and I haven't done a deep dive for a few years) is that everything up to the NCAA tourney (where officials are picked via recommendations from coaches/conferences via post-game reports - I think) everything is conference based.

Top conference pay top dollar and have the burgers (though, I recall Barb Jacobs said she had to pay refs AND her salary out of her budget).
They pay fee, travel, house, per diem (likely). The lead ref fills out an end of game report, DVDs (i'm old) of the game are shared and reviewed. Coordinator is onsite to eval and/or hires someone to eval game.

Re rules/points of emphasis: That's decided by the NCAA rules committee. A DVD/updated rules is sent to each team and they must review and sign off. The Coordinator might attend an NCAA led "Coordinators mtg" to review the new rules/points of emphasis. They're responsible for enforcing them (and refs are responsible for knowing them).

Coordinators can organize professional developments.. but that means paying refs/travel/housing/food/space etc. (Unless they're using zoom now?) as refs are independent contractors.

Super old articles I wrote:

MAKING THE CALLS: The World of Referees

COACHES AND OFFICIALS: Reaching Across the Divide – A look at the relationship between officials and coaches and the impact on recruiting efforts

EARNING THEIR STRIPES: Officials in Training

OFFICIATING UNDER REVIEW: Coaches, Conferences and the NCAA Working to Collaborate

 

[MSGRET]

I agree with your clarification. The issue is any foul called using video results in free throws where a common foul only does if the team is in the bonus or the player was shooting. Replay to me in all sports seems like more problems than solutions so let them play and give each team a couple challenges a game to use. That way the flow isn't dictated by officials.

This year there is no stoppage of play just to look at a replay. Replay will only be looked at when there is an actual stoppage of play, i.e. free throws, an injury has occurred, or either team or TV time outs.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

IMHO one big problem with the refs is usually the conference supervisor of the refs is usually an ex-ref who worked with the present refs and is friends with them!
It's tough to discipline your friends!
The answer is hire an outside ex-ref to be the supervisor!

 

[ThisJustIn]

IMHO one big problem with the refs is usually the conference supervisor of the refs is usually an ex-ref who worked with the present refs and is friends with them!
It's tough to discipline your friends!
The answer is hire an outside ex-ref to be the supervisor!

How, exactly, do you expect to do that? The refs cross conferences. If you've been in the game long enough to climb to the top level, you know everyone and everyone knows you. It's a small, tough world.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

How, exactly, do you expect to do that? The refs cross conferences. If you've been in the game long enough to climb to the top level, you know everyone and everyone knows you. It's a small, tough world.

ThisJustin- - Possibly hiring retired NBA refs!

 

[MSGRET]

ThisJustin- - Possibly hiring retired NBA refs!

They would have to change their interpretation of what constitutes a walk in basketball.