NCAA Women's Basketball

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1 NCAA Women's Basketball Conference Coordinators' Minutes January 5, 2010 Tuesday, January 05, 2010 (Click here for an original PDF) MEMORANDUM January 11, 2010 TO: NCAA Divisions I, II and III Women s Basketball Coordinators of Officials. FROM: Mary Struckhoff National Coordinator of Women s Basketball Officiating Debbie Williamson Secretary-Rules Editor. SUBJECT: Women s Basketball Coordinators of Officials Telephone Conference Minutes for January Welcome and Roll Call. (Mary Struckhoff) Conference roll call was taken. All Division I conferences were represented on the telephone conference. 2. Secretary-Rules Editor Update/Report. (Debbie Williamson) a. Interpretations/Clarifications. (1) Administrative Technical Fouls (Men s and Women s Basketball Rule 10-2). As a point of clarification, there are no offsetting or double fouls in Rule (2) Live Ball (Rule 6-1.4). Editorial changes will be made to the Men s and Women s Basketball Rules book to clarify that the ball is live when it is at the disposal of a player. According to Rule 4-19, the ball is at the disposal of a player when it is: (a) Handed to the thrower-in or free-thrower; (b) Caught by the thrower-in or the free-thrower after it is bounced to him or her; (c) Placed at a spot on the floor; or (d) Available to a player after a goal and the official begins the throw-in count. The only time it is necessary for the official to begin a count in order for the ball to become live is when the ball is made available to a player after a made field goal. This point is covered thoroughly on the December 18 Web site posting of rules and interpretations. (3) Time Frame for Penalizing a Foul (Rule ). Rule d permits officials to use the monitor to determine if a contact flagrant foul occurred. When a contact flagrant foul did not occur, but an intentional personal or a player-substitute technical foul for dead ball contact did occur, those fouls can be penalized. Additionally, this applies to Rule Some of the language from Rule d was erroneously omitted from Rule The intent of both rules is that whether a contact flagrant foul is observed or not observed, officials can use the monitor to determine if a contact flagrant foul occurred. If it did not, officials can penalize an intentional personal or a player-substitute technical foul

2 for dead ball contact (Rule d.2). (4) Flagrant Foul (Rule d). The most recent posting addresses Rule d which permits officials to use the monitor to determine if a contact flagrant foul occurred. When an official before using the monitor, determines that a flagrant foul has occurred, the monitor cannot be used to verify this call. (5) Injured Player. When play is stopped for an injured player, the player must be ready to play immediately or there must be a substitution for her. If her coach desires that she remain in the game, a timeout must be called by her coach unless she is injured because of a collision with an opponent (A.R. 56). This timeout would permit her to remain in the game (Rule a). The only other time that she must leave the game or that a timeout by her coach is required for her to remain in the game is when an official beckons the coach or any other bench personnel on to the floor to attend to her (Rule ). This rule is applicable when officials stop play and this stoppage creates the first dead ball inside a media window. The media timeout cannot buy that player back into the game. Her coach s timeout is the only timeout that can permit her to remain in the game with the one exception found in A.R. 56 (Rule a). For example, when an official stops play because a player is injured and that stoppage creates the first dead ball within a media timeout window, a media timeout shall occur. However, before going to the media timeout, a determination must be made as to whether or not the injured player is ready to play immediately' or not as though there were no media timeout about to occur. If she is, then no substitute or timeout by her coach is necessary for her to remain in the game. If she is not 'ready to play immediately', then a substitute or a timeout by her coach is necessary for her to remain in the game. The rules on injured players are the same whether we are inside or outside a media window. This rule is also referenced in the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) Mechanics Manual (3.4.6.A.5.d, pages ). b. Uniforms/Player Equipment. (1) Protective Gear. Padding to protect the rib cage area is being inserted into shirts by manufacturers and currently being worn by players. This is legal and must comply with rules pertaining to undershirts regardless of the purpose or design of these undershirts. (2) Arm Sleeve. A single arm sleeve is a sleeve that is pulled over the hand and up the arm and is permitted, without any written documentation, according to Rule A sleeve with padding is legal. A shirt is a garment that is pulled over the head and arms are inserted into it. When a shirt extends below the elbow, it is illegal and written documentation is required from Ms. Williamson in order for the player to be permitted to wear this long-sleeved shirt. (3) Knee Braces. Rule states that knee braces are permitted when covered properly. Proper covering is in the judgment of the official. The intent of the rule is that equipment cannot cause injury to any player (Rule 3-9.5). 3. National Coordinator of Women s Basketball Officiating Update/Report. (Struckhoff) a. Points of Emphasis. (1) Contact On/By Ball-Handler/Dribbler. (a) Officials are doing a good job of calling illegal hand contact as a foul. However, when a player

3 illegally uses her hands as a habitual part of her defense, officials must be consistent in the application of this rule and not back off to keep players out of foul trouble or reduce the total number of fouls for the game. There is a perception that officials will get tired of calling these types of fouls and will stop calling the fouls even though the illegal contact continues. Officials must continue to be consistent with this call throughout the contest and throughout the remainder of the season. (b) It does appear that officials are permitting too much body contact on the ball-handler/dribbler. Defenders are bodying up on the ball-handler/dribbler and impeding her progress, re-routing or displacing her. Further, many times this incorrect no-call is followed by an offensive foul or a traveling violation when the ball-handler/dribbler loses her balance due to the illegal contact. Much more emphasis needs to be given to the illegal body contact on the ball-handler/dribbler. Tripping the ballhandler/dribbler is always a foul. (2) Traveling. (a) Officials continue to do a good job with enforcing the traveling rule. Officials should continue to find the pivot foot for every offensive movement lifting the pivot prior to starting the dribble, spin moves, step-through moves, breakaways, shooter s hop, replants under the basket after an offensive rebound. (b) Officials must ensure the ball-handler/dribbler has not traveled due to illegal defensive contact. (3) Sportsmanship. (a) Coaches are out of the coaching box more frequently. If the head coach is only coaching the team, he/she must still remain within the confines of the coaching box. This rule must be applied. A coach outside the box gains a distinct advantage over the coach that is adhering to the rule. If in close proximity, but clearly and completely out of the box, officials should request that the coach stay within the coaching box and issue a warning (behavioral only, not to be recorded in the scorebook). The officials should communicate this warning to co-officials. The next time the head coach is clearly and completely out of the coaching box, a direct technical foul should be issued. A coach should be issued a direct technical foul, without warning, for egregious abuse of the coaching-box rule. (b) Officials must continue to heighten their awareness for unsporting player behaviors as conference play continues. Officials should not turn their back on a play or players and should move in toward the action when the situation dictates. b. Illegal Screens. (1) There appear to be numerous illegal screens with contact being made and the proper penalty not being assessed. Officials must widen their vision and officiate more players than just the ballhandler in their primary area. (2) A problem area is when the ball-handler is in the center s primary area and he/she must officiate on-ball and all the activity surrounding the ball. The lead must strongly consider a rotation in this case. If a rotation is not advisable (e.g., shot clock winding down, imminent shot), the lead must pinch the paint to assist with screening and other off-ball activity inside the three-point arc. c. Legal Guarding Position. (1) A player laying on the court is not in a legal guarding position.

4 (2) If the prone player causes the ball-handler/dribbler to lose her balance or fall to the floor, illegal contact has occurred and a foul should be called. d. Team-Control Fouls. (1) There have been some instances of crews not properly identifying team-control fouls and awarding free throws when not merited. When a team is in control of the ball (e.g., shot clock counting down) and the ball becomes loose due to a bad pass, deflection or interrupted dribble, the offensive team is still in team control. (2) If a foul is committed by the offensive team (e.g., team in control) during the loose ball, a team-control foul has occurred and no free throws should be awarded. (3) Crews must thoroughly communicate to avoid this type of correctable-error situation. e. Number of Timeouts. (1) Per Rule , officials are to notify a team and its head coach when the team has taken its final timeout. (2) Officials must provide this notification to the head coach and ensure the head coach is aware that no team timeouts remain. f. Mechanics. (1) Areas of Intersection. (a) Areas of intersection continue to provide challenges in court coverage. Two problems that must be avoided: 1) assumptions being made that the other official is on-ball resulting in neither official being on-ball, or 2) both officials are on-ball, resulting in a lack of coverage elsewhere. (b) When the ball is high and near the arc, the intersection is between the trail and center. The coverage demarcation line is the lane line extended nearest the center (CCA Mechanics Manual, page 65). If the ball is at the apex of the arc, it is the trail official s responsibility. The center should only sneak a peek to help with a three-point attempt if there are no match-ups in his/her primary coverage area. The ball must move clearly beyond this demarcation line before the center picks up on-ball responsibility. (c) The intersection between the lead and trail provides the greatest challenge. The coverage demarcation line is the free-throw line extended. The ball must be clearly below that demarcation line for the lead to go on-ball. The lead and trail can also assist in this transition by communicating with the appropriate body language that he/she is on-ball. Once the lead is on-ball, the trail must officiate in the lane. (d) Even though the sideline is the trail s responsibility, post play and play away from the ball are higher priorities. The trail should use peripheral vision to cover the sideline. As with other boundary areas, the trail can always ask for help from the lead (who was officiating the play) for assistance with the out-of-bounds call. (2) Lead in Rotation. (a) Some lead officials, while rotating across the lane, are officiating action well outside the lane on the opposite side before completing the rotation. (b) Once the lead determines a rotation is in order, he/she must first officiate play in the lane while

5 moving laterally across the endline. While moving across, the lead should only visually pick up play outside the lane when there are no competitive match-ups in the lane. (c) Once the lead has crossed the far lane-line extended and the rotation is complete, he/she should attempt to pick up the on-ball action in his/her primary outside the lane and below the freethrow line extended. The use of appropriate body language will now cue the trail to pick up the action in the lane. (3) Trail Mirroring Lead s Three-Point Attempt. (a) Some trail officials are not mirroring the lead s three-point attempt. (b) If the trail is focused on the action in the lane, the trail should pick up a three-point attempt with peripheral vision and mirror a three-point attempt signal from the lead. (4) Center Positioning. (a) Center officials are still too high on the court (toward midcourt), both in a normal offensive set and in leaking out automatically to the high side to obtain an angle. (b) Center officials should stay as close to the home position (free-throw line extended and the sideline) as possible. (5) Double Whistles. (a) When a double whistle occurs, officials should not give an immediate preliminary signal, if at all possible. The outside officials (e.g., center and trail) should be more patient with signals on plays to the basket. (b) Double whistle mechanics in the CCA Mechanics Manual (3.4.7, pages ) should be reviewed. (6) Free- Throw Positioning. (a) Numerous variations appear to be occurring for free-throw positions. Officials should review the proper mechanics and coverage in the CCA Mechanics Manual (pages 57-61). (b) The lead should be on the lane line below the block for the first free throw(s) and in the closedown position for the final free throw. (c) The trail should be near the 28-foot mark for all free throws, unless there are players matched up in the backcourt and adjust accordingly. (d) The center has the most flexibility in terms of positioning, making adjustments based on where players line up and the need to observe the opposite lane line. The center should be several steps on the court and off the sideline and should be somewhere between the free-throw line extended and just below the apex of the three-point arc. Adjustments may be made when players are above the free-throw line extended and outside the arc in front of the center. Two trails are not needed on free throws. g. Rules/Mechanics Quizzes. (1) There have been some technical glitches with the quizzes. Quiz 2 had an error in the answer key and it was not properly corrected. (2) Answers on the current quiz (Quiz 3) were re-ordered. (3) All issues are being addressed and hope to be avoided in the future.

6 (4) A quiz, regarding mechanics, will be posted Monday, January 11. h. Technical/Flagrant Foul Reports. (1) The template was sent out to Division I coordinators on December 9. Ms Struckhoff is accumulating the reports and a summary will be sent in the near future. (2) A new query regarding flagrant fouls was added to the report. The template will be updated with that information for the January report. Since these types of fouls do not often occur, the NCAA Women s Basketball Rules Committee would like as much information as possible regarding the details (e.g., was a monitor used, was a common foul called but upgraded after monitor review, was the monitor viewed but no penalty assessed due to the timeframe passing). i. Regional Advisors On-Site Game Evaluation of Officials. (1) Two evaluation summaries have been sent to conference commissioners and coordinators. (2) Some officials have not submitted a signed release form to the NCAA; therefore, evaluations for those individuals may not be sent to the conference office. (3) Evaluation summaries for late December/early January will be sent within the next week. j. NCAA Championship Eligibility List. (1) Each conference commissioner/coordinator was sent a listing of eligible officials for the NCAA tournament in December. That list is being updated by the NCAA and will be sent no later than Friday, January 8. (2) Officials not on the list of eligible officials who believe they have fulfilled eligibility requirements should contact Rachel Kay (rkay@ncaa.org) describing their issue and provide documentation to verify their eligibility. k. NCAA Championship Evaluation Committee Request. (1) Correspondence requesting conference coordinators participation as a 2010 Division I Women s Basketball Championship first- and second-round onsite evaluator will be sent no later than Friday, January 8. A minimum of 12 coordinators will be needed for evaluation purposes. Having coordinators serve in this capacity is essential to the evaluation and subsequent advancement process for tournament officials. 4. Future Calls/Meeting Schedule. a. Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time. b. Saturday, April 3, 2010 at 10 a.m. Central time (Women s Final Four Meeting in San Antonio). Printed from ArbiterSports.com

MEMORANDUM. FROM: Mary Struckhoff National Coordinator of Women s Basketball Officiating

MEMORANDUM. FROM: Mary Struckhoff National Coordinator of Women s Basketball Officiating VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL MEMORANDUM TO: NCAA Divisions I, II and III Women s Basketball Coordinators of Officials. FROM: Mary Struckhoff National Coordinator of Women s Basketball Officiating Debbie Williamson