Tough Calls: April 28, 2026

Andris Aunkrogers, Marius Ciulin, Jonaš Kavan. Photo: Andreas Bez

The Tough Calls are sponsored by Fiziocentrs – a well known physiotherapy clinic in Latvia. The videos shown below will help to understand the game, referees and rules.

1. In Dark team offense, Dark 33 moves past his primary defender Yellow 44 and drives to the basket. Before a Dark 33 shoots, contact occurs with defender Yellow 20. Yellow 20 falls fown after contact. Referees call an act of shooting foul by Yellow 20.

FIBA OBRI 15.1.1. A shot for a field goal or a free throw is when the ball is held in a player’s hand(s) and is then thrown into the air towards the opponents' basket.

FIBA OBRI 33.3. The legal guarding position extends vertically above him (cylinder) from the floor to the ceiling. He may raise his arms and hands above his head or jump vertically but he must maintain them in a vertical position inside the imaginary cylinder.

FIBA OBRI 33.4.When judging a charge/block situation involving a player with the ball, a referee shall use the following principles:

• Contact must occur on the torso, in which case the defensive player would be considered as having been at the place of contact first.

FIBA OBRI 34.2.2 If the foul is committed on a player in the act of shooting, that player shall be awarded a number of free throws as follows:

• If the shot released from the 2-point field goal area is unsuccessful, 2 free throws.

Outcome: correct decision from the referees. Yellow 20 was trying to block the offenders shot and create a contact with Dark 33. Since the contact happened on the side, the defender will be held responsible for this contact. A personal act of shooting foul correctly called for Yellow 20, and two free throws awarded for Dark 33.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_9a215d5ee84b49b7ba7e04c05b25bd07/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

2. In Black team offense, Black 44 sets a screen to his teammate`s Black 31 defender White 11. Contact occurred between Black 44 and White 11, White 11 fell down to the floor. Referees call an illegal screen foul by Black 44.

FIBA OBRI 33.7. Screening: Legal and illegal

Screening is an attempt to delay or prevent an opponent without the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court.

Illegal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:

1. Was moving when contact occurred.

2. Did not give sufficient distance in setting a screen outside the field of vision of a

stationary opponent when contact occurred.

3. Did not respect the elements of time and distance of an opponent in motion when

contact occurred.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. Black 44 sets an illegal screen, because he was moving when contact occurred with defender White 11. Referees correctly called a personal offensive foul for Black 44.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_a8e5696701bb4b988c83cd1fc4dfd7b3/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

3. In Yellow team offense, Yellow 0 sets a screen to his teammate`s Yellow 1 defender Dark 1, pushes him. Contact occurred between Dark 1 and Dark 34. After this contact, Yellow 1 gets a free space to move to the basket. Referees call an illegal screen foul by Yellow 0.

FIBA OBRI 33.7. Screening: Legal and illegal

Screening is an attempt to delay or prevent an opponent without the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court.

Illegal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:

4. Was moving when contact occurred.

5. Did not give sufficient distance in setting a screen outside the field of vision of a

stationary opponent when contact occurred.

6. Did not respect the elements of time and distance of an opponent in motion when

contact occurred.

FIBA OBRI 33.15. Pushing

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: Correct decision from the referees. When Yellow 0 sets a screen, he pushes Dark 1 to his teammate Dark 34, which is illegal. Referees correctly called a personal offensive foul by Yellow 0.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_e1a0b22652fe496f950ef32d8130884d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

4. In Yellow team offense, Yellow 2 drives to the basket, while his teammate Yellow 45 blocked defender Dark 33 for Yellow 2. After a push by Yellow 45, contact between Dark 33 and Yellow 2 occurred, referees call an act of shooting foul for Dark 33.

FIBA OBRI 33.7. Screening: Legal and illegal

Screening is an attempt to delay or prevent an opponent without the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court.

Illegal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:

7. Was moving when contact occurred.

8. Did not give sufficient distance in setting a screen outside the field of vision of a

stationary opponent when contact occurred.

9. Did not respect the elements of time and distance of an opponent in motion when

contact occurred.

FIBA OBRI 33.15. Pushing

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. 

FIBA OBRI 33.12. Post play

The principle of verticality (cylinder principle) applies also to post play. The offensive player in the post position and the defensive player guarding him must respect each other's rights to a vertical position (cylinder). It is a foul by an offensive or defensive player in the post position to shoulder or hip his opponent out of position or to interfere with his opponent’s freedom of movement using extended arms, shoulders, hips, legs or other parts of the body

Outcome: Incorrect decision from the referees. When Yellow 45 sets a screen and pushes Dark 33, he did it in a illegal way, as a result Dark 33 pushes Yellow 2 during his shooting process. Instead of a personal foul act of shooting for Dark 33, referees should call an offensive team foul for Yellow 45 and cancel a basket.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_f245f0d3933e4ad6a6291db6ca9be1b9/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

5. In Yellow team offense, Yellow 0 drives to the basket, while his teammate Yellow 45 blocks Black 34 for Yellow 0. After a blocking attempt by Yellow 45, contact between Black 34 and Yellow 0 occurs, referees call an offensive foul for Yellow 45.

FIBA OBRI 33.7. Screening: Legal and illegal

Screening is an attempt to delay or prevent an opponent without the ball from reaching a desired position on the playing court.

Illegal screening is when the player who is screening an opponent:

10. Was moving when contact occurred.

11. Did not give sufficient distance in setting a screen outside the field of vision of a

stationary opponent when contact occurred.

12. Did not respect the elements of time and distance of an opponent in motion when

contact occurred.

FIBA OBRI 33.12. Post play

The principle of verticality (cylinder principle) applies also to post play. The offensive player in the post position and the defensive player guarding him must respect each other's rights to a vertical position (cylinder). It is a foul by an offensive or defensive player in the post position to shoulder or hip his opponent out of position or to interfere with his opponent’s freedom of movement using extended arms, shoulders, hips, legs or other parts of the body

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees. When Yellow 45 sets a screen to Black 34, he does it in a illegal way, continues moving – as a result Black 34 pushes Yellow 0 during his shooting process. Referees correctly call the first illegal contact – an offensive team foul for Yellow 45 and cancel a basket.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_c6b063e3ac5b4ed2ade853636f31a3ae/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

6. In Yellow team offense, Yellow 16 makes a jump shot attempt, while defender Black 0 is trying to guard Yellow 16 shot. After a shot, Yellow 16, with his leg out of his cylinder, finds a contact with Black 0 and theatrically falls down. Referees call a technical foul – fake by Yellow 16.

FIBA OBRI 15.1.1. A shot for a field goal or a free throw is when the ball is held in a player’s hand(s) and is then thrown into the air towards the opponents' basket.

FIBA OBRI 33.3. The legal guarding position extends vertically above him (cylinder) from the floor to the ceiling. He may raise his arms and hands above his head or jump vertically but he must maintain them in a vertical position inside the imaginary cylinder.

A player who has jumped into the air from a place on the playing court has the right to land again at the same place. He has the right to land on another place on the playing court provided that the landing place and the direct path between the take-off and landing place is not already occupied by an opponent(s) at the time of take-off.

FIBA OBRI 33.16. Fake being fouled

Fake is any action by a player to simulate that he has been fouled or to make theatrical exaggerated movements in order to create an opinion of being fouled and therefore gaining an advantage.

Outcome: correct decision from the referees. Black 0 legally defends the shot, while making a contact with shooter Yellow 16, who theatrically falls down. Referees correctly penalize Yellow 16 with a technical foul and restart a game with jump ball, as ball was in the air, when the call came.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c54fc6_ea5ffebaf7974196bffa708d727e4c13/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Author: Oskars Lucis, ENBL Head of referees