Initiating Contact

[LG210]

Does anyone else here think that modern officiating allows offensive players way too much leeway in initiating contact and prohibits too strictly defensive players from standing firm against such contact initiated by offensive players?

There were a number of calls last night against defensive players--on both ends of the court--that left me wondering how a player can be called for a foul while doing literally nothing but standing on the court. If an offensive player is allowed to make contact with a defender and use his (the offensive player's) inertia to change a defender's positioning, shouldn't a defender be allowed to use his own inertia to prevent himself from being pushed out of the way?

Sans Zach McCabe, offensive players seem to be allowed such an advantage in this scenario that it become nearly impossible to defend without being called for a foul.

 

[tweeterhawk]

That's the plan. The NCAA is desperate to tip the balance away from defense to offense in an effort to reverse the annual decline in average of points scored per game.

#nbawithoutthemoney

 

[iahawk73]

I have to agree 100%. I have been in favor of limiting the hand checking for quite sometime, but I think as usual, they have taken these changes too far. If I were playing defense and had to back away from the offensive player to avoid contact as they are driving so as not to be called for a foul I would be frustrated also. The charging call has always been one that has been inconsistent. Now, the call favors the offense as you have mentioned. I do not see this condition changing in the near term. This will be a frustrating year I believe.

 

[ssckelley]

It is frustrating, I have noticed that this affects the bigs more than anybody. Some of the calls I have seen on Woodbury have been unbelievable, the guy cannot even stand straight up with his arms up without getting a foul called on him. It appears the NCAA does not want defense to be played. But this should play into Iowa's favor, Fran teaches drawing fouls and the goal is to make more free throws than the other team attempts. Our problem has not been drawing the fouls it has been converting the opportunities, the team FT percentage is down to 71% from 73% last year. That may not sound like much but I can think of 3 games where 6 points (the amount of points 2% represents) would have made a difference to the outcome of the game.

 

[ibahawkeye]

In regards to last night I believe the officials intentionally called the game tight after Fran's blow up to ensure they maintained control of the game.

They didn't want Fran's blowup to snowball into something worse like a bench clearing brawl or a fight or something.

 

[DaBears]

Some of the calls I have seen on Woodbury have been unbelievable, the guy cannot even stand straight up with his arms up without getting a foul called on him.

Woodbury is not straight up, ever.

 

[Linesetter]

In regards to last night I believe the officials intentionally called the game tight after Fran's blow up to ensure they maintained control of the game.

They didn't want Fran's blowup to snowball into something worse like a bench clearing brawl or a fight or something.

Why would there have been a bench clearing brawl? Mccaffery was the only one that lost his ever loving mind

 

[ibahawkeye]

Why would there have been a bench clearing brawl? Mccaffery was the only one that lost his ever loving mind

My point was that the officials began to call it tight to maintain control of the game so Fran's blowup didn't become something bigger. A bench clearing brawl is simply just an example of something bigger/worse. It obviously didn't get to that point.

 

[jacknicholson]

Does anyone else here think that modern officiating allows offensive players way too much leeway in initiating contact and prohibits too strictly defensive players from standing firm against such contact initiated by offensive players?

There were a number of calls last night against defensive players--on both ends of the court--that left me wondering how a player can be called for a foul while doing literally nothing but standing on the court. If an offensive player is allowed to make contact with a defender and use his (the offensive player's) inertia to change a defender's positioning, shouldn't a defender be allowed to use his own inertia to prevent himself from being pushed out of the way?

Sans Zach McCabe, offensive players seem to be allowed such an advantage in this scenario that it become nearly impossible to defend without being called for a foul.

The referees have made a ridiculous mess of the game. It sitnks.....

 

[tweeterhawk]

The referees have made a ridiculous mess of the game. It sitnks.....

WADR (and trust me when I say it is considerable, Jack), the referees are only carrying out what the NCAA wants them to. Without making radical changes in the rules (eg, shortening the shot clock, reducing the time allowed to get the ball across mid-court), the NCAA is working through changes in interpretation to existing rules (ie, through the refs) to reverse a long decline in scoring by giving more of an advantage to offensive play.

 

[RocknRollface]

Seems like this year all contact in the post initiated by the offensive player is a foul. I feel like this makes no sense and was not the intent of the new emphasis .

Fran needs to adapt to this and get some guys posted on the block. Other teams are racking up fouls against our bigs this way but we dont do it back.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Seems like this year all contact in the post initiated by the offensive player is a foul. I feel like this makes no sense and was not the intent of the new emphasis .

Fran needs to adapt to this and get some guys posted on the block. Other teams are racking up fouls against our bigs this way but we dont do it back.

White took it right to the hole 3 or 4 possessions in a row and it worked like a charm...then no more.

 

[sioux34]

I agree. Why did whitey quite after those three posessions? He was really making a difference.

 

[uihawk82]

If you want to watch bball defense before the thuggery started search Youtube for "UCLA Houston" and watch the video of the 1968 game between two great teams. Defense was played with the feet and getting position, it was all position and vertical jumping, good ball movement.

There was very little crashing of bodies and players undercutting, hand checking, etc. Bobby Knight and the Big East and others ushered in muggings in the mid to late 1970s and 1980s.

It is very hard to watch these officials now who cant seem to get a game under control.

 

[WindsorHawk]

I'm not sure. I thought he and Dev should just drive it every time. They foul out the opposing players and score. It's a win...win. Who knows. Everything got kind of crazy after the ejection.

 

[uihawk82]

I agree. Why did whitey quite after those three posessions? He was really making a difference.

This is one of the leadership aspects of this team and a know how to go to the hot hand type of things.

If a player has a mismatch or can do whatever they want you have to clear it out for them.

Give Hoiberg credit for his days in the NBA because his team knew exactly what to do late in the game with Iowa.

They got a turnover and isolated ejim or niang one on one in the wing area and let them work.

 

[ssckelley]

I agree. Why did whitey quite after those three posessions? He was really making a difference.

It took White forever to get going in that 2nd half for some reason. But once he did he scored a slew of points either on the dribble drive or at the foul line. All I know is everytime I seen Gesell driving to the hoop only to get blocked or miss the layup I kept thinking that should have been White. White is the one who has the size and strength to drive it in there and either make the shot or get fouled.

 

[WindsorHawk]

It took White forever to get going in that 2nd half for some reason. But once he did he scored a slew of points either on the dribble drive or at the foul line. All I know is everytime I seen Gesell driving to the hoop only to get blocked or miss the layup I kept thinking that should have been White. White is the one who has the size and strength to drive it in there and either make the shot or get fouled.

Get out of my head Kelley!

 

[WindsorHawk]

It took White forever to get going in that 2nd half for some reason. But once he did he scored a slew of points either on the dribble drive or at the foul line. All I know is everytime I seen Gesell driving to the hoop only to get blocked or miss the layup I kept thinking that should have been White. White is the one who has the size and strength to drive it in there and either make the shot or get fouled.

Seriously...exact same thoughts throughout the 2nd half.

 

[Thawki]

I don't mind the changes to what they were letting defenses get away with out front/up top. But, the charging changes, I am not sure why they felt a need to make a change there, except to make it so it wasn't a judgement call, I guess. But the thing is, I don't know how it would ever not be a judgement call, except for what they did, I guess. And what they did wasn't a good change in my book. If they would have taken care of everything else the way they did and made no changes to charging, I believe that would have been a perfect solution.

For that foul on their seven footer when Gessel drove the lane late to be a foul on the big guy, that just isn't right. He was trying to move out of the way and contact was had, but he was moving backward trying to avoid it and got called for the foul. Come on.