Basketball has evolved over the years. Some obvious examples:
** A player initially could not run with the ball. This was interpreted that they could only pivot. It evolved that a player could in effect move with the ball if they dribbled the ball. They were running but did not have the ball when dribbling.
** Originally play stopped after each made basket and they jumped center again. The game evolved where the defense simply took the ball out of bounds after made baskets.
** Originally when a player committed a foul, they had to leave the game until the other team scored two baskets. Eventually the game evolved to have players stay in the game after a foul until they committed their fifth foul.
I give these examples just to point out that the game of basketball has changed and adapted over time. We might argue that some changes in the game have been good, and that other changes have hurt the game. Like most things in life, older basketball coaches/fans tend to resist change while younger basketball coaches/fans are more accepting of change.
What Is A Foul?
Through time, what is considered a foul and what called a foul has changed. Clearly the game of basketball has become more and more physical thru the years. Some will think I am talking about the NBA, but this is true at every level of basketball from HS boys/girls to NBA/WNBA.
I believe fouls have gone through at three phases of evolution. I am not going to get hung up trying to figure exactly when each of these three phases began and when they ended.
PHASE 1- ALL CONTACT IS ILLEGAL AND A FOUL
Originally basketball was considered a non-contact sport. From 1900 to 1980, calling a foul was pretty clear cut. If there was contact, there was a foul.
If a rebounder had inside position, if there was any contact the rebounder, it was foul. It didn’t matter that it had not impacted the play- it was contact.
The positive of this interpretation of fouls, the game was more finesse and allowed more offensive movement.
The negative of this interpretation of fouls, in the 1950’s and 1960’s regularly had 2-3 players foul out, and teams were each shooting 25-40 free throws per game. So sadly, it could be argued during this era, the refs really were impacting the outcome of games with the number of players fouling out.
PHASE 2- CONTACT IS A FOUL IF IT CREATES AN ADVANTAGE/DISADVANTAGE
This era seems to have been from about 1980 thru 2010. Not all contact was considered to be a foul. The key question that a ref had to answer- does the contact create a clear advantage for the defense and disadvantage for the offense? If an official felt the contact created an advantage, it was a foul.
During this period, what was a foul became less clear cut and more subject to individual refs interpretations. An aggressive defender on the perimeter could hand check but if the ref didn’t think it was creating an advantage, there was no foul and the offense just had to figure out how to play thru that contact. Referees who had not played basketball tended to have more trouble understanding the concept of advantage and disadvantage.
The positive of this approach was that there were fewer fouls called and fewer stoppages for free throws. This also encouraged more aggressive defensive play.
The negative of this approach was the interpretations of refs could differ wildly from game to game, and even within games depending on which ref was under your basket.
PHASE 3- CONTACT THAT CREATES AN ADVANTAGE IS NOT A FOUL, IF REF FEELS BEST PLAYERS COULD HANDLE.
This phase started in the 2010’s and is still going. Contact that creates an advantage is not necessarily a foul. That hand check is creating an advantage, and that hard bump of a shooter at the basket is creating an advantage. If the ref think while the contact created an advantage, but if a good player would be unaffected by that contact, then it is not a foul.
The positive of this approach is that players can be more aggressive defensively, very aggressive.
The negative of this approach is that if you not physically strong, good luck. This style of officiating can quickly become an approach can sometimes seem to be just one step removed from PE class.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Trickle Down- There is a huge difference between NBA/WNBA and college and high school, but usually what happens in the pros trickles down to college and then down to high school. This is true, the bar of what a good player can handle is just going to go higher and higher. Basketball is going to become more and more physical.
“Let Them Play”- Many who like the idea of fewer fouls being called use the rally cry,”Let them play.” Let the players determine the outcome, make them play through. I would argue that the cry,”Let them play,” should mean that let’s not let it become bully ball, let them play basketball where they can move and cut.
Who Decides On Changes- Does this evolution come from formal decisions of athletic administrators and coaches who decide the changes will make the game better? Or is the evolution just something that happens as refs decide that is how they want to call the game? Or is it TV deciding what is best?
Go Back To 1960’s Basketball- I don’t think anyone wants basketball to go back to the 1960’s with multiple players fouling out and a total of 60 free throws being shot. But I think present rule change where you don’t shoot ft’s until foul #5 of each quarter will automatically reduce ft’s shot. But a happy medium between today and 1960 would be positive.
Self-Reflection Is Essential For Effective Officiating- I once had a ref tell them that they had worked a game the night before. They commented,”Man, both teams were horrible offensively, the score was 34-32.” In a game like that, a ref needs to reflect on what role their officiating played in a poor offensive game. Did teams have trouble scoring because you were letting the defense be too physical?
Would love to hear your thoughts! Share them in the comments.
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