Tough calls: February 28, 2025

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. White team in offense, White 7 runs in an restricted area, gets a pass and makes a shot. His defender Black 6 interrupts him, a contact between another defender Black 20 and White 7 happens. The ball goes out of bounds. Referees disregard this contact, calling the ball out of bounds, for the White team.

   
   

FIBA OBRI 23.2.1. Principle of verticality.

 The defensive player must not be penalised for leaving the floor vertically (within his cylinder) or having his hands and arms extended above him within his own cylinder.

FIBA OBRI 23.2.1. The ball is caused to go out-of-bounds by the last player to touch or be touched by the ball before it goes out-of-bounds, even if the ball then goes out-of-bounds by touching something other than a playe

Outcome: correct decision from the referees. Defender Black 20 jumps vertically, within his cylinder, as a legal guarding position, a contact with White 7 must be disregarded. Defender Black 6 touches the ball last, before ball goes out of bounds. The ball shall be awarded to the White team for a throw-in in its frontcourt from the end line.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b81db6_5621f992b7014e0597f093879324de17/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

2. White 6 drives along base line, then start to make a two steps move. He takes steps with his right foot twice in a row. Referees call a violation – traveling.

   
   

FIBA OBRI 25.2.1. A player who catches the ball while he is progressing, or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball:

• ▬ The first step occurs when one foot or both feet touch the floor after gaining

control of the ball.

• ▬  The second step occurs after the first step when the other foot touches the

floor or both feet touch the floor simultaneously.

Outcome: correct decision from the referees. Illegal movement from White 6, as he moves with his right foot twice in a row. Traveling violation.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b81db6_a4367a6ec74243eda76746aca282a9e7/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

3. End of the game, near the end of the shot clock, Yellow 33 makes a shot, as he is guarded by defender Blue 21. After the shot, Yellow 33 spreads his legs, gets into contact with defender and both fell down on the floor. The referee allowed the game to continue without a whistle.

FIBA OBRI 15.1.2. The act of shooting on a shot:

Begins when the player starts, in the judgement of a referee, to move the ball upwards towards the opponents’ basket.

1. Ends when the ball has left the player’s hand(s), or if an entirely new act of shooting is made and, in case of an airborne shooter, both feet have returned to the floor.

   
   

FIBA OBRI 34.1.1. A personal foul is a player’s illegal contact with an opponent, whether the ball is live or dead.

1. A player shall not hold, block, push, charge, trip or impede the progress of an oppo- nent by extending his hand, arm, elbow, shoulder, hip, leg, knee or foot, nor by ben- ding his body into an 'abnormal' position (outside his cylinder).

   
   

FIBA OBRI 33.2.  The offensive player, whether on the floor or airborne, shall not cause contact with the defensive player in a legal guarding position by:

1. Using his arms to create more space for himself (pushing off).

2. Spreading his legs or arms to cause contact during or immediately after a shot for a field goal.

Outcome: incorrect decision from the referees. After a shot Yellow 33 spreads his legs, gets into contact with defender Blue 21, as a result both players fell down. It isn’t a No call situation, referees should call a personal foul for Yellow 33. As a Yellow team foul bonus, Blue 21 must be awarded with two free throws.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b81db6_3de5cce169e84fb6a8641bbd593b562e/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

4. Blue team in offense, Blue 17 receives a pass from his teammate and starts a drive to the basket. A contact with defender White 22 happens. Both players fell down. Referees call a personal defense foul by White 22.

   
   

FIBA OBRI 33.3. Legal guarding position

A defensive player has established an initial legal guarding position when:

• He is facing his opponent, and

• He has both feet on the floor.

  
  

FIBA OBRI 33.2. The offensive player, whether on the floor or airborne, shall not cause contact with the defensive player in a legal guarding position by:

• Using his arms to create more space for himself (pushing off).

  
  

FIBA OBRI 33.3. A defensive player has established an initial legal guarding position when:

1. He is facing his opponent, and

2. He has both feet on the floor.

   
   

FIBA OBRI 33.4. Once the defensive player has established an initial legal guarding position, he may move to guard his opponent, but he may not extend his arms, shoulders, hips or legs to prevent the dribbler from passing by him.

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 floor.

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

Outcome: correct decision from the referees. White 22 has a legal guarding position, when Blue 17 contacts him, but contact occurs on the shoulder, not on the torso. Blocking personal foul by White 22.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b81db6_682e25d729ef48a3b610411b20e97b27/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Author: Oskars Lucis, ENBL Head of referees