Basketball New Zealand

August 30, 2007

The Australian National Basketball League has unveiled its new “points of emphasis” for the 2007/08 season, with the leagueís referees set to crack down on a number of areas including travelling violations and contact on the ball handler.

Each season, the NBLís games committee determines the points of emphasis which will influence how the rules are to be interpreted by all officials as a way of ensuring maximum consistency of rulings.

For the 2007/08 NBL season, which commences on September 19, the points of emphasis include a closer scrutiny of hand and body contact on the ball carrier, as well as a tighter focus on players taking additional illegal steps either before or after they have dribbled.

NBL operations general manager and games committee chairman Chuck Harmison said the league was using feedback from coaches, players and referees to try and make interpretations as consistent as possible across the league for the benefit of spectators.

ìThe committeeís continuing focus is to find ways to make the NBL an even better spectacle and more consistent in terms of its officiating,î said Harmison. ìAll of these recommendations are based on feedback from coaches, players and referees and we believe they will continue to make our game better for all involved.î

Harmison said that referees would this year have the benefit of seeing examples of all the points of emphasis in action.

ìA special DVD has been created to help explain and show visually a lot of the things that the points of emphasis will discuss,î Harmison explained. ìSo rather than just saying this is how we want it called, weíll put it up on the screen and show examples.

“This allows for the coaches and referees to go back throughout the season, and compare game to game how they are doing against what we want them to do.î

The games committee is composed of Harmison, Pat Tilden (NBL referees manager), Dr Adrian Hurley (former NBL and national coach), Lindsay Gaze (former NBL and national coach), Andrew Gaze (former NBL and Boomers player), Steve Carfino (NBL Hall of Fame player and Fox Sports commentator) and Michael Haynes (Basketball Australia community basketball general manager).

In general terms, the objectives of the games committee are:

∑ To formulate policy and philosophy for all factors of the game based on approved NBL rules and guidelines

∑ To review this philosophy and application on a regular basis in an endeavour to achieve continuous improvement.

∑ To ensure that any legitimate members or interested party of the NBL are encouraged to input into the process. This to be by way of participation, community survey, consultations, etcÖ

NBL Points of Emphasis 2007/08

The NBL, on the recommendation of its games committee, has approved the following general and specific principles under which all NBL games will be played in season 2007/08.

Advantage/disadvantage

Advantage/disadvantage principles as documented in ìBasketball Rules and Referee Manualî (as adopted by FIBA) specifically Article 43, are to be applied by officials at all times and they must strive for consistency in its application.

Specific attention should be given to the following areas:

∑ Illegal contact on the shooter or on a drive to the basket should always be considered a disadvantage

∑ Principles of advantage/disadvantage should be applied in the following areas

- Post players who play body to body

- Rebounding situations providing they generally remain within their cylinder.

- Off the ball cutters and on ball off ball screens where there is no disadvantage.

∑ Illegal contact in the last minutes of the game must be assessed consistently with the first minutes of the game. Referees should consider players wishing to stop the clock for an opportunity to gain possession of the ball BUT the following should be assessed at all times.

- The principles of unsportsmanlike foul.

- The principles of advantage/disadvantage

- Consistency of application.

New Direction - Hand and body contact on the ball carrier

∑ Incidental body contact or incidental brushing of an opponent with a hand in the back court should be considered under advantage/ disadvantage principles.

∑ HOWEVER any hand that is left on an opponent by a defensive player either in the front court or the back court that impedes his opponents progress MUST be assessed as a foul.

Post Play

Although not a new direction, the Games Committee has sought to clarify allowable contact in Post Play situations:

∑ A defensive post player is permitted a one arm bar in the back of his opponent.

∑ This must be restricted to one arm only and must not be extended. A two arm bar is to be assessed as an automatic foul

∑ Once the player has received the ball and turns to face the basket the arm bar MUST BE DROPPED

New Direction - Travelling
There have been several areas of concern in the amount of travelling that has been accepted in the NBL over recent years. As such referees are directed to be specific in applying the travel rule in the following areas.

∑ The ìkangaroo hopî once the offensive player has picked up the ball.

∑ Dragging the pivot foot on receipt of ball from a lead for a pass.

∑ Moving the pivot foot on a drop step move.

∑ Dragging or lifting the pivot foot which causes the defensive player to shift direction sending the offensive player in the other direction.

∑ Call the travel if a player takes an extra step to gather himself to go up for a shot in all situations.

New Direction - Player under or behind the basket
The long-held, but undocumented, ìinterpretationî that restricts the legality of a player who positions himself under or behind the basket has been reconsidered.

Currently, it is understood that an offensive player who charges into the defensive player who is under the basket and makes the shot will not be called for an offensive foul; if however he misses the shot or passes the ball he will be called for a charge. This ìinterpretationî does not appear in the FIBA rule book or in any approved NBL variation to FIBA rules.

As such, the NBL directs that this ìinterpretationî and its implications are no longer to be observed.

The implications to this decision are:

∑ A player is entitled to take a legal position under or behind the basket as with any other position on the court.

∑ Any player who illegally contacts an opponent who has established a legal position under or behind the basket will be assessed in a similar manner to any other position on the court.

∑ The referee will then need to determine whether the ball has left the offensive players hand prior to contact being made in order to judge whether the made basket will count as in all other similar situations.

Unsportsmanlike Fouls

Illegal contact that goes beyond the bounds of acceptable contact MUST be deemed as unsportsmanlike under the rules of the game as determined by FIBA. In the determination of an unsportsmanlike foul there are two (2) issues only to be considered

1. Was the action a legitimate attempt to play the ball?

2. Was the contact excessively heavy?

If the answer is no to 1 and / or yes to 2 then an unsportsmanlike foul must be called. One only need apply.

New Direction
Contact should also be considered as unsportsmanlike in the following situation

∑ Any ìbreakaway foulî where the defensive player on a breakaway situation is not between his man and the basket and he fouls his opponent without making a legitimate play at the ball should be deemed as unsportsmanlike.

∑ Fouls deliberately committed in the last moments of the game solely to stop the clock are to be judged under the above 2 points 1 & 2.

Game Management

New Direction
It is the intention for season 2007/08 to reinforce good communication. Coaches should be allowed to ask legitimate questions and receive feedback, but only if it asked at the right time and the right spirit ie. stoppage in play, and does not interfere with the referees concentration in doing his job.

Whilst it is not the intention to stifle good communication between players, coaches and officials, the public image of the game must still be upheld.

Therefore, the following must still be of prime consideration.

Game management specifically relates to areas of respecting the role of players, coaches and officials and allowing each to perform their role to its optimum.

1. It is extremely important that the referees and their coaching staff are respected at all times in applying what is considered fair and consistent for everyone involved in the game.

2. Allowance must be made for errors of judgment by all parties, and respect must be given to the judgment of officials in applying these principles without bias.

Generally coaches and players are to portray respect and constraint towards decisions of officials at all times.

Officials are still directed to use a discretionary warning or ìshort sharp to the pointî explanation if the coach goes beyond these parameters, and if it is considered that further disciplinary action may be avoided. However this is in no way mandatory.

Under no circumstances are officials to engage in lengthy explanations with players or coach.

Therefore officials are directed to call a technical foul in the following cases:

∑ Publicly overt and/or demonstrative actions towards official

∑ Where an official considers he/she cannot perform their duty due to unreasonable and avoidable interference.

∑ Audible obscenity by a player or coach.

Consistency

Advantage/disadvantage principles are to be applied within the spirit and intent of the rules and the need to uphold the integrity of the game. Consistency in applying the concept of advantage/disadvantage where the officials should not seek to interrupt the flow of the game and which does not give the player responsible an advantage nor place him at a disadvantage.

Consistency of application in areas of Game Management will go a long way towards better acceptance by all involved in the on court game and the fans, BUT it must at all times be fairly and consistently applied.

Officials must at all times work hard as individuals and as a team to ensure an across-the-board consistency in applying these priniciples and on a game-to-game basise.

Referee coaches are equally responsible in their game assessment and reporting in ensuring that consistency is a prime consideration in assessing performance of individual referees and the referee team.

Ongoing Review

Part of the ongoing duties of the NBL game committee will be to monitor the application of the points of emphasis as listed above. It will be the responsibility of NBL management and the NBL referees manager to ensure that these directions are respected and carried out by all parties.