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: Pallacanestro Reggiana vs. Aliaga Petkimspor - Blocking foul
After Blue #26's screen, he dives to the basket where he receives the ball. White #35 tries to defend the drive to basket and a contact occurs. The referee calls a blocking foul to White #35.
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 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. White #35 committed a blocking foul as he was still moving, and the contact did not occur on his torso. Blue #26 shall be awarded two free throws as he had already started his act of shooting.
TC2: Rytas Vilnius vs. Unicaja - Charge
White #0 receives the ball during a fastbreak; Black #43 tries to defend the basket and a contact occurs. Both referees call a defensive foul to Black #43.
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 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: Incorrect decision by the referees. Black #43 had established a legal guarding position before White #0 took off for the layup, and the contact occurred on his torso. An offensive foul should have been called.
TC3: Falco-Vulcano Szombathely vs. Nanterre 92 - Unsportsmanlike foul
Black #8 receives the ball and starts a drive to the basket. Yellow #3 runs towards him and creates a contact. The referees call a foul on the act of shooting to #Yellow 3 and award two free throws to Black #8.
Article 37.1.1: An unsportsmanlike foul is a player contact which is:
Excessive, hard contact caused by a player in an effort to play the ball or an opponent.
Outcome: Incorrect decision by the referees. Even if the initial contact created by Yellow #3 can be considered a legal attempt to play the ball, the subsequent follow-through, after this initial contact met one of the criteria to be considered an unsportsmanlike foul.
Black #8 should have been awarded two free throws, followed by a Black team throw-in at the throw-in line in the team’s frontcourt, opposite the scorer's table and 14 seconds on the shot clock.
TC4: Falco-Vulcano Szombathely vs. Nanterre 92 - Backcourt violation
Black #8 dribbles from his backcourt to his frontcourt. He steps with both feet on the frontcourt while the ball bounces twice in the backcourt. The referees let the play continue.
Article 28.1.2: The team has caused the ball to go into its frontcourt whenever:
During a dribble from the backcourt to the frontcourt, the ball and both feet of the dribbler are completely in contact with the frontcourt.
Article 30.1.2: A team in control of a live ball in the frontcourt has illegally returned the ball to its backcourt, if a player of that team is the last to touch the ball in the frontcourt and the ball is then first touched by a player of that team:
Who has part of the body in contact with the backcourt, or
After the ball has touched the backcourt of that team.
Outcome: Correct decision by the referees. The ball never passed to the Black team frontcourt since only Black #8's feet were in the frontcourt. Therefore, there cannot be a backcourt violation; ball illegally returned to the backcourt.
TC5: UCAM Murcia vs. ERA Nymburk - Technical, fifth foul
The referees call a foul on the act of shooting and award two free throws to White #19.
After the first successful free throw, White #19 is charged with a Technical Foul, it being his fifth foul. The referees award one free throw to any Red team player and then, White #19's substitute, White #73, attempts the second free throw for the personal foul.
Article 36.3: If a technical foul is committed the opponents shall be awarded one free throw. The game shall be resumed as follows:
The free throw shall be administered immediately. After the free throw, the throw-in shall be administered by the team which had control of the ball or was entitled to the ball when the technical foul was committed, from the place nearest to where the ball was located when the game was stopped.
The free throw shall also be administered immediately, regardless of whether the order of any other possible penalties for any other fouls has been determined or whether the administration of the penalties has been started. After the free throw for a technical foul, the game shall be resumed by the team which had control of the ball or was entitled to the ball when the technical foul was committed, from the place where the game has been interrupted for the technical foul penalty.
If a valid goal or a last free throw is scored, the game shall be resumed with a throw-in from any place behind the endline.
If neither team had control of the ball nor was entitled to the ball, a jump ball situation occurs.
With a jump ball in the centre circle at the start of the first quarter.
OBRI 36-42 Example: B1 fouls A1 on an attempt for a two-point goal. The ball does not enter the basket. After A1's first of two free throws, A2 is charged with a technical foul.
Interpretation: Any team B player or substitute shall attempt one free throw with no line-up. A1 shall then attempt the second free throw. The game shall be resumed as after any last free throw.
Article 43.2.1: When a personal, an unsportsmanlike or a disqualifying contact foul is committed, the free throw(s) shall be awarded as follows:
The player who was fouled shall attempt the free throw(s).
If that player is designated to be substituted, the free throw(s) shall be attempted before the substitution.
If the player must leave the game due to injury, having committed 5 fouls or having been disqualified, the substitute shall attempt the free throw(s).
Outcome: Correct procedure by the referees.
The free throw for the technical foul shall always be administered immediately, even if between free throws. Following the free throw for the technical foul, since White #19 has become an excluded player after his 5th foul, his substitute, White #73, shall attempt the remaining free throw for the personal foul.
Note: The target of this video is to confirm the correct application of OBR and OBRI onto the court. We would like to clarify some additional details of this play situation:
Regarding criteria, the first illegal play was IUH of Red #00 on the drive immediately after the pick while reaching the ball, incorrect no call by the referees.
The Technical foul according to the referee's statement is called following OBR 36.2.1 2nd bullet point: Disrespectfully dealing and/or communicating with the referees, the commissioner, if present, the table officials, the opponents or persons permitted to sit on the team benches, which cannot be seen in the video.