>Get the First Foul > >End-of-game fouling situations present unique dilemmas for officials. >The hard part is we know darn well the team behind on the scoreboard is >fouling with the intent of stopping the clock and forcing the other >team to make free-throws. But are the losers fouling deliberately? The >NCAA Rulebook's definition of an intentional foul reads. "An >intentional foul is a personal foul on a player with or without the >ball which, in the opinion of the Official, was deliberately committed >by a player against an opponent player. It may or may not be >premeditated and is not based on the severity of the act. A foul shall >also be ruled intentional if, while playing the ball, a player causes >excessive contact with an opponent. Holding, hitting or pushing a >player away from the ball is USUALLY an intentional foul." >If you read that verbatim, it sounds like most end-of-game fouls should >be ruled intentional. Easy to say, much harder to do. Why? Because >that's not what is accepted. The reality is, a winning-team dribbler >gets his arm slapped by a losing-team player to stop the clock and you >call it an intentional foul, you're in trouble. Despite what the rule >says, no one wants that type of foul called intentional. >The rulebook-lawyer officials are probably doubled over after reading >that last sentence. Their battle cry is, "If we all just do as the >rule says and call it intentional, there won't be any problems." >Garbage. How can anyone expect one official in one game in one gym on >one typical Friday night to change decades of accepted traditions and >then wonder why everyone's so upset? >Holding or pushing an opponent in full view of an official in order to >stop play or pushing a player in the back to prevent a score when there >is no possibility of getting into position to guard is intentional. A >foul also should be ruled intentional if while playing the ball, a >player cases excessive contact with an opponent. This is probably the >most inconsistent calls made by officials, since the "hard foul" >interpretation was added to the rule. >What can we do? There are some little things you can do to make sure >end-of-game fouling situations do not get out of hand. > >1. Call the first foul: Most of the time, the player being fouled is >the one with the ball. Defenders are usually frantically trying to get >to that player. They reach in and try to slap at the ball and/or the >player. Call the foul immediately, at the first hint of contact. Why? > Because that stops the action - and prevents more and harder fouling. >If you let the first minor slap go, the defender is going to foul >harder next time. The harder the foul, and the more you'll hear, >"Intentional!" and the more players get angry at hard fouls. Though >you might ignore that minor slap, say, in the middle of the second >quarter, now is the time to get it right away. Do not make the >defender push the offensive player into the third row to get a whistle. > >2. Talk to both teams: Usually teams are coming out of post-timeout >huddles near the end of a close game. That's a great time to talk to >both teams. Tell the team that's behind to "play the ball," "don't >commit a hard foul," and "make it look like a normal foul." By >planting those seeds in their heads, they know you're looking to call >the first foul and they don't have to do anything extreme. Tell the >team ahead in the score to expect fouls. Remind them that the other >team is merely trying to stop the clock and not trying to hurt them. >Assure them that you will protect them. That lets them know they're >about to be fouled and do not need to overreact and earn a foolish >retaliatory foul. > >3. Call the hard foul intentional: Violent contact must be ruled >intentional. Look for two-handed pushes from behind, especially on the >airborne players. Get it and send the message it won't be tolerated. > >4. Keep calling them: It's not fun to shoot lots of free-throws in >the last minutes, but some games just go that way. Stay with it. >You've got to keep calling the quick foul. Trouble starts and fights >erupt when officials ignore fouls with seconds left, hoping the horn >sounds to end the game. Yes, you'll be there an extra few minutes, but >the alternative - a disqualifying foul or bench-clearing brawl as time >expires - is worse. >