MUNICH (Germany) - Our weekly Tough Calls feature breaks down selected situations from across EuroLeague Women, with expert analysis from the FIBA Referee Department explaining how each moment was assessed.
TC1: Fenerbahce Tarfin vs Flammes Carolo Basket - Disruptive Foul
Red #0 receives a pass and starts the dribbling. Yellow #32 makes illegal contact with her and the referee calls a foul in the act of shooting on Yellow #32, awarding Red #0 two free throws.
Article 37.1.1
A disruptive foul is a player’s illegal contact with an opponent which does not rise to the level of a flagrant foul, and which disrupts the flow of the game and places the opponent at a disadvantage.
The criteria for disruptive fouls are the following:
• An illegal contact caused by a player from behind or laterally on an opponent, who is progressing towards the opponent’s basket and with no opponents between the progressing player and the basket, and:
- The progressing player is in control of the ball, or
- The progressing player is attempting to gain control of the ball, or
- The ball has been released on a pass to the progressing player.
This applies until the offensive player starts the act of shooting.
Outcome
Incorrect decision by the referee. The illegal contact by Yellow #32 meets one of the criteria for a disruptive foul, as Red #0 has not yet started her act of shooting. Red #0 should be awarded two free throws with no line-up.
The game should then resume with a Red team throw-in from the throw-in line in its frontcourt, with 14 seconds on the shot clock.
TC2: Valencia Basket Club vs CS Rapid Bucuresti - Shot Clock Violation
With 0.3 seconds on the shot clock, the White team has a throw-in from the endline in its frontcourt. White #15 receives the ball and attempts a three-point shot. The shot clock signal sound and the ball enters the basket. The referee calls a shot clock violation and cancels the basket.
Article 29.1.1
To constitute a shot for a goal within 24 seconds:
• The ball must leave the player's hand(s) before the shot clock signal sounds, and
• After the ball has left the player's hand(s), the ball must touch the ring or enter the basket.
Article 29.1.2
When the backboard is equipped with yellow lighting along its perimeter at the top, the lighting takes precedence over the shot clock signal sound.
Article 16.2.5
The game clock or the shot clock must show 0.3 (three tenths of a second) or more for a player to gain control of the ball on a throw-in or on a rebound after the last free throw to attempt a shot for a goal. If the game clock or the shot clock show 0.2 or 0.1 the only type of a valid goal that can be made is by tapping or directly dunking the ball, provided that the hand(s) of the player are no longer touching the ball when the game clock or the shot clock show 0.0.
Outcome
Correct decision by the referee. As the shot clock shows 0.3 seconds, White #15 may gain control of the ball and attempt a shot for a goal.
However, when the yellow lighting on the backboard illuminates, the ball is still in White #15’s hands. Therefore, the White team has not attempted a shot for a field goal within 24 seconds.
FIBA