MEMORANDUM VIA EMAIL TO: NCAA Divisions I, II and III Coordinators of Men's Basketball Officials. FROM: J.D. Collins National Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officiating. Art Hyland NCAA Men's Basketball Secretary-Rules Editor. SUBJECT: Bulletin No. 3 January 9, 2017 Teleconference Follow-Up. Because of the importance of this information, we appreciate your consideration and effort in providing this bulletin directly to all officials and head coaches in your conference. We believe that providing this information to each institution demonstrates a continuing commitment to maintaining and improving the officiating in every game. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. This information will also be available on the Coordinator's Meeting section of the men s basketball officiating website at www.ncaambb.arbitersports.com 1. During the last two weeks, we have had F1 s, F2 s, technical on players, technical on coaches, players ejected, coaches ejected, interrupted games due to water leakage, several severe snow storms across the country causing many games to be rescheduled and you are now performing as counselors for coaches and officials. It is conference season and we all are feeling it. Bottom line I appreciate the jobs you all do and the manner in which you are doing it. 2. We made progress in the November and December on the six directives to reduce physicality. Conference season has begun and it is more important now that we reinforce to our officials the need for consistency in officiating to the directives. Those six key directives are: a. Handchecking/body bumping the ball handler Rule 10.1.4. b. Freedom of movement call impeding progress fouls. c. Screening make sure all screens are stationary including pivot screens. d. Offense initiated contact do not reward offense initiated contact on legal defenders both on the perimeter and on drives to the basket. e. Physical post play call the first displacement whether on the offense or defense.
Page No. 2 f. Rebounding call displacement fouls. 3. I have spoken with almost every Division I coordinator in the last week. We are all seeing reoccurring trends in our positioning and mechanics. If we encourage our officials to stick to the basics listed in the CCA Mechanics Manual, we will do a better job of having the right official in the right position to make the right call. Relative to mechanics and signaling, I am asking the coordinators of officials to continue to support the following: a. Stop the clock on all fouls and violations. When officials don t stop the clock on fouls and violations, only bad things happen. We must encourage our officials to change habits and begin to stop the clock on all fouls and violations. b. The trail and center must get to an initial starting position at or near the 28 hash and freethrow line extended respectively and adjust from there. Encourage your officials to intentionally step down to the 28 hash at least once on every possession. It is extremely important that the trail become engaged in front court plays. In order to do this, he must get to a good initial starting position and close down. c. The trail and center must be willing to take 1-2 steps high or low to obtain better angles. Mobility is the key to finding better angles. I am stilling seeing many officials standing flat footed at trail and center. d. The trail and center must close down on all shots to enhance our chances of seeing rebounding displacement. e. The trail and center officials must be mobile; to get better angles, to pick up the pivot foot in the post, to observe post activity and see rebound displacement fouls. f. I am seeing too many lead officials calling across the paint. If officials find themselves calling across the paint, they need to rotate and do it with a purpose. g. I am still seeing lead officials walking to the table on foul reports. Please encourage your officials to put some zip into their movement to the table. 4. Again, as I spoke to the Division I coordinators this week there were reoccurring plays that I would like to comment on that need our attention: a. Post play. Three years ago, if an official called a 10.1.4 foul, the coaches yelled at the official. Now when an official calls a 10.1.4 foul, the coaches yell at their players. We have become consistent in how we adjudicate 10.1.4 fouls. My hope is that we leave this call today and drive toward a more consistent application of the directive to reduce physicality in the post.
Page No. 3 We are at a pivotal moment in our opportunity to succeed in reducing physicality in the post. Let s talk about some specifics. (1) We need to improve our efforts in calling offensive players for straight-arm wardoffs. If the offensive player uses a straight arm, makes contact and wards off the defender, it is a foul. This is a difficult play because the trail usually has the ball in his primary and the lead is looking at the backside of the play. When looking at the offensive post player, if during his shape up you do not see his elbows bent a light should go off in the official s head to move to a position that has a good angle and look for the offensive straight-arm ward-off. (2) Likewise, I am still seeing offensive players backing down defensive players illegally. We are no longer allowing the first bump. We should be calling the first displacement foul in the post, whether it is on the offense or the defense. (3) In addition, when the lead official sees post players that habitually body up, he needs to rotate with more of a purpose and do it more quickly. This will put him in a better position to see the first foul. As a reminder, if both players foul simultaneously, call a double foul. I am asking the coordinators of officials to continue to support calling double fouls in this situation. We have room for improvement in the post, especially in addressing the offensive player warding off. b. Rebounding. (1) We are doing a better job of calling displacement fouls during rebounds. That said, we still have room for improvement in this area. The center and trail must get to a good initial starting position and close down in order to see the slight chuck and pushes during rebounds. (2) We are having to many officials that are hedging and beginning to leave the front court before the play finishes. Stay home and officiate the rebounding activity. (3) Everything I have stated regarding rebounding applies to free throw rebounds as well. We cannot allow the offensive player in the 2 nd lane space push, body walk and chuck the defensive player in the first lane space. As we have started conference play, I have seen games where we are correctly calling the post. I have also seen games where we are disregarding the directive to reduce physicality in the post. The coaches and student-athletes deserve for us to consistently apply the rules nationally. Now is the time for each of us to recommit to calling the post according to the rules book.
Page No. 4 c. Restricted area arc (RA) plays. (1) I believe we are doing relatively well officiating the walled up defender in the RA. (2) We are however struggling with the grounded secondary defender in the RA. If a secondary defender is grounded in the RA and there is sufficient contact for a foul, it must be called a restricted area blocking foul unless it is flagrant. (3) In addition, if a secondary defender remains grounded in the RA and there is a pass/crash play this is still a grounded secondary defender and must be called a restricted area blocking foul. (4) Art Hyland will describe the rules and the requirements for both of these plays in his presentation so I will not expound on these topics. (5) The trail and center officials must be more involved in RA play adjudication. It is imperative that they pick up the feet on RA plays and assist the lead when necessary. (6) The center official must realize that on all plays, except a primary defender from the center side, one of his responsibility is to pick up the feet and the RA. (7) The trail and center should not assist the lead in determining if the defender walled up and left the floor. This is strictly a judgment call on the lead s part. d. Traveling. (1) Everyone officials, coaches, players, media and fans are aware of our emphasis on traveling in the post. Because of this awareness, when we miss a travel in the post or call one that is not, additional scrutiny comes our way. (2) The center and trail must get to a good initial starting position and close down in order to find the pivot foot and call post traveling properly. (3) Emphasize to your officials the importance of finding the pivot foot. We should not be splitting hairs on traveling plays, but should be calling them as we see them. Coaches really get frustrated when we call traveling violations that are not travels. We can continue to improve by finding the pivot foot. e. Bench decorum and coaching box violations. As conference play heats up, so do the emotions of our coaches. There is a lot on the line for each of them. Officials should initially use all of their approachability skills with coaches. If a coach is violating the decorum rules and/or the coaches box, the official
Page No. 5 should address the situation. Thereafter, the official should issue a warning, either verbally or a book warning for coaches box violations. If the coach then chooses to violate bench decorum or the coaches box, officials should issue a technical foul. Again, as I talked with each of the coordinators this theme was prevalent. Officials must begin addressing bench decorum issues. Let s not allow the optics of bench decorum to deteriorate any further. 5. Art Hyland, Secretary-Rules Editor comments. a. Restricted Area Issues. (1) Rule 10-1.14 states that a secondary defender cannot establish initial legal guarding position in the RA. This does not prohibit a secondary defender from establishing initial legal guarding position (two feet on the floor and facing his opponent) outside the RA in which case the defender may guard his opponent all the way to the basket including taking a charge in the RA. (2) A secondary defender who establishes initial guarding position in the RA and remains grounded has not established legal guarding position. Therefore, any illegal contact is a blocking foul unless the contact is deemed flagrant. The adjudication of these fouls is not based on which player caused the contact. The defensive player has never established legal guarding position. Except for a flagrant foul by the offense, the foul is always on the defense in these situations. (3) A secondary defender who establishes legal guarding position in the RA (two feet on the floor and facing his opponent) becomes legal if he then jumps straight in the air with arms over his head and attempts to block a shot. (Rule 4-38.1.a,.d,.e and.f) A defender should not be unfairly penalized for using this wall up technique as long as he meets all of the verticality requirements noted above. b. Monitor Reviews. (1) Reminder Except where Rule 11 specifically permits otherwise, officials must always have a call on the floor before electing to use instant replay. Review of plays such as a two/three field goals, end of game shot, or out of bounds call in the last two minutes all require a call by the official on the floor. (2) Shot Clock Reviews Instant replay is only permissible to determine if a try was released prior to the shot clock horn when the try is successful. Otherwise, there is no review permitted. CORRECTION FROM COORDINATOR S CALL On today s call, I may have misspoken or misunderstood Mark Whitehead s question regarding monitor reviews in shot clock situations. The case play referenced below was issued last season and is still valid. In particular, in #1 of the play, the official has made a decision that there has been a shot clock violation when he blows his
Page No. 6 whistle. When the shot subsequently is successful, Rule 11-2.1.b.4 allows the official to use the monitor and determine if the original call was correct. Sorry for the confusion but hope this clarifies Mark s question. Please note also the additional play situation below. January 4, 2016 Case Play As the shot clock is nearing zero, A1 attempts a try which is successful. The officials are unsure as to whether the try was released prior to the sounding of the shot clock horn and an official blows his whistle 1) while the ball is in the air or 2) after the try is successful and prior to the ball next becoming live. Can the officials use instant replay to determine if a shot clock violation occurred in both instances? Ruling The officials may use instant replay in both (1) and (2). However, in (1), if the try is unsuccessful, the ball is dead and no instant replay is permitted by rule. A violation has occurred and Team B shall have the ball for a throw-in at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occurred. Rule 11-2.1.b.4. ADDITIONAL PLAY SITUATION (NEW). A1 is in the act of shooting and an official blows his whistle indicating a shot clock violation before the try has left A1 s hands. A1 continues with the try and releases the ball. The try is either successful or unsuccessful. Can the officials use instant replay to determine if the official was correct in calling the shot clock violation? RULING- No in either case. The ball became dead when the official sounded his whistle before the try had been released. Rule 6-5.1.d. Therefore, the try cannot be successful and no monitor review is permitted. Rule 11-2.1.b.4. (3) A.R. 285- Shot clock horn does not stop play. Official s whistle for violation stops play. Do not put time back on the game clock unless the official has definite knowledge that the game clock continued to run after the official had signaled to stop the game clock. c. Screening. The screening rules (4-34) apply to players with or without the ball. A player with the ball who either 1. hands the ball off to a teammate and moves into a defender or 2. reverse pivots into a defender and hands the ball to a teammate has committed an offensive foul. The player with the ball must comply with all screening rules including being stationary when setting the screen.
Page No. 7 6. General Comments/Questions and Answers. a. I would like to remind each coordinator on the call that you have an extremely important leadership role in accomplishing all that we have talked about today. If we all are sending the same message, we have a chance to make an impact on the game. b. I want to thank the coordinators for being on board. Reducing physicality in the post is a hard project. Now is the time for all of us to commit to reinforcing this message. If stick to our guns now and officiate the post correctly, three years from now we will be in a much better place in the post and the game will become easier to officiate. c. We have had a good start to the 2016-17 season. Let s all commit to making this the best conference season possible. d. Many of you are messaging to your officials via video clips, written information and conference calls. I have seen and heard many of these communications. If you have the opportunity to share them with me, I would appreciate it. In-season training video #6 will be released on January 10 th and deals with team-control fouls. In-season training video #7 will be released on the 17 th and will be specific to post physicality, rebounding and grounded secondary defenders in the restricted area. e. Please note the date of our final conference call: Monday, February 6, 2017 at 11 a.m. Eastern. NCAA/1_10_2017/JDC:AH:BLT