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: Maccabi Ramat Gan vs. VEF Riga - PUSHING
White 10 dribbles the ball guarded by Black 33. A contact occurs between defender Black 33 and screener White 3. The referee calls an offensive foul to White 3.
Art. 33.15: Pushing is illegal personal contact with any part of the body where a player forcibly moves or attempts to move an opponent with or without the ball.
Outcome: Incorrect decision by the referee. The contact created by White 3 on Black 33 was a consequence of the pushing from Black 40 on White 3.
TC2: Karsiyaka vs. Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball - FAKE BEING FOULED
White 3 is dribbling the ball guarded by Blue 2. A contact occurs and the referee decides to give a fake warning to White 3.
Art. 33.16: Fake is any action by a player to simulate being fouled or to make theatrical, exaggerated movements, in order to create an opinion of being fouled, and therefore gaining an advantage. OBRI 36-12: Whenever a player fakes being fouled, the following procedure shall apply:
Without stopping the game, the referee signals the fake by showing twice the lower-the-forearm signal.
When the game is stopped the next time for any reason, a warning shall be communicated to the player and the head coach of the team. Each team is entitled to 1 fake being fouled warning.
When the next time, any player of that team, fakes being fouled a technical foul shall be called. This also applies when the game was not stopped to communicate the earlier warning to any player or head coach of that team.
When an excessive fake without any contact occurs, a technical foul may be called immediately without a warning being given.
Outcome: Correct decision by the referee. The incidental contact by Blue 2 could not create White 3’s backwards head movement. This head movement meets the definition of a standard fake. If any White team player repeats a fake action, a technical foul shall be called.
TC3: Falco-Vulcano Szombathely vs. Pallacanestro Reggiana - ILLEGAL SCREEN
Yellow 5 has the ball near the corner. Yellow 9 gets closer to him to receive a pass when a contact occurs between defender Red 31 and screener Yellow 15. The referee calls an offensive foul to Yellow 15.
Art. 33.7: Screening is an attempt to delay or prevent an opponent without the ball from reaching a desired position on the court. Legal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent: • Was stationary (inside that player’s cylinder) when contact occurred. • Had both feet on the court when contact occurred. 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. The screen set by Yellow 15 was illegal as the elements of time and distance were not respected when setting the screen on an opponent in motion.
TC4: Bertram Derthona Basket vs. BAXI Manresa - BASKET AND FOUL AWAY FROM THE BALL
White 32 dribbles the ball and starts a lay-up. Approximately at the same time, one of the referees calls a personal foul to Black 13 on White 21. The referee decides that White 32’s basket is valid and furthermore, awards a throw-in to the White team.
Art. 15.1.3: The act of shooting in a continuous movement on a drive to the basket or other moving shot:
Starts when the ball has come to rest in the player’s hand(s), upon completion of a dribble or a catch in the air and the player begins the shooting motion preceding the release of the ball for a goal.
Art. 10.4: The ball does not become dead and the goal counts if made when:
The ball is in the control of a shooter for a goal who finishes the shot with a continuous motion which started before a foul is committed by any opponent player or by any person permitted to sit on the opponents’ team bench
Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. When the foul occurred, White 32 had already started his act of shooting. The basket is valid, and the game is resumed with a White team throw-in, for Black 13’s personal foul.
TC5: Bertram Derthona Basket vs. BAXI Manresa - THROW IN AFTER A TIME-OUT IN THE LAST TWO MINUTES
Near the end of the game, the White team scores a basket. Then the Black team is granted a time out. After the time-out the game is resumed with a frontcourt throw-in on the table side.
Art. 17.2.4: When the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the fourth quarter, and in each overtime, following a time-out taken by the team entitled to the possession of the ball from its backcourt, the head coach of that team has the right to decide whether the game shall be resumed with a throw-in from the throw-in line in the team’s frontcourt or from the team’s backcourt at the place nearest to where the game was stopped. If the head coach decides to resume the game with a frontcourt throw-in and the original throw-in is in the backcourt from:
the endline after a successful goal or a successful last free throw, the head coach shall decide whether the throw-in shall take place from the throw-in line on the table side or on opposite side.
the sideline or the endline after a foul or violation, the throw-in shall take place in the frontcourt from the throw-in line at the same side of the court (table side or opposite side) as the original throw-in.
Outcome: Correct procedure by the referees. As of October 1, 2024, when the game clock shows 2:00 minutes or less in the 4th quarter, or 2:00 minutes or less in each overtime, because of a rule change, now the head coach has the right to decide not only if the throw-in shall be taken from the original spot in the backcourt, or the throw-in line in the frontcourt, but also AFTER A VALID BASKET OR SUCCESSFUL FREE-THROW, the head coach has the right to decide from which of the 2 throw-in lines in the frontcourt the throw in shall be administered, table side or opposite side.