Changes for 2013-14 season

There are a few changes that I have seen from the referees in virtually every preseason game that I have watched.
1) A team that scores a basket cannot touch the ball when they score and it goes through the net. Even if a player bumps the ball with his body, the referees are calling a delay of game, then a technical for additional infractions.
2) The referees are regularly calling a travel when a player starts their drive to the basket if they don't dribble first. Players were too often moving both feel when they start their move to the basket.
3) The referees are even calling palming/carry violations. It was called on Marshon Brooks two times within a minute or two a couple of games ago.
4) I am also glad to see the Finals is going back to a 2-2-1-1-1 format. This gives a bigger advantage to the team with the better regular season record.

We'll see if they follow through on changes 1-3 as they move into the regular season. I hope they do.

Of all of those I hated the no call on palming perhaps the most. Thought it gave players a bigger advantage than the non traveling calls.
As for the travel calls......... hope they do it consistantly with ALL players.
The delay of game seems a bit overboard. Grabing the ball is one thing bumping into it as you are folloeing thro on a potential rebound seems a little to much, heck I have seem many dunks when the dunker makes contact with the ball after he dunks. They gonna call that too?

Not to worried about the final format..............unless the Red Sea parts again and we walk into it.

beat

They're also very sensitive when a player;s first move is a step back. A lot of traveling called in such cases.

I guess I'm one of the few who likes the out-of-bounds calls. One of the main reasons the teams of the past maintained such a fast pace was that they received the ball at the earliest possible moment after an opponent's basket. And, on an opponent's infraction, the ref would get the ball to the offensive team at the earliest possible instant. I recall a multitude of cases in which a Celtic would actually be sidling (out of bounds) down the sideline toward the front court and clapping his hands to get the ball quickly from the ref. And the ref would comply. In many cases, it almost seemed if the ref was making the pass before the assist.

Sam

Here's more ideas for the NBA to consider:

1) Start calling the jump step a TRAVEL.

2) Get rid of that stupid circle. If the defensive player shuffles his feet, it's blocking, and if the offensive player deliberately barrels over the defender (*ahem* LeBron, Wade), call it a charge.

3) Not playing every team every year. They should do it like the NFL where they have a series of sorts with other divisions, depending on the year.


KJ

k_j_88 wrote:Here's more ideas for the NBA to consider:

1) Start calling the jump step a TRAVEL.

2) Get rid of that stupid circle. If the defensive player shuffles his feet, it's blocking, and if the offensive player deliberately barrels over the defender (*ahem* LeBron, Wade), call it a charge.

3) Not playing every team every year. They should do it like the NFL where they have a series of sorts with other divisions, depending on the year.


KJ

KJ,

The jump step is often being called a travel in the preseason.
I think the circle is great. If anything, extend it a foot or so toward the FT line.
I don't see any benefit by not playing every team every year.
Playing out of conference teams 2 times and in conference teams 3 or 4 times seems to work out well.
The NFL has to do that because they play only 16 games.

TJ,

The NBA has been watered down with too many teams. I'd like to see more cross conference play, instead of teams like Charlotte, Washington 4 times each. Those just aren't entertaining games to watch.

The circle is a problem because referees do not call it consistently. They are too busy focusing on only one aspect of the play to determine how to rule the foul. A lot of the time, they make the wrong call. That and I think it's not fair to the defensive player that had his feet set to still get called for blocking.

And I'm glad they are calling the travels more. For a while, the game was getting too far away from rules/fundamentals.


KJ

beat wrote:The delay of game seems a bit overboard. Grabing the ball is one thing bumping into it as you are folloeing thro on a potential rebound seems a little to much, heck I have seem many dunks when the dunker makes contact with the ball after he dunks. They gonna call that too?

Completely agree.  This is a case of the NBA making a rule to solve a problem that is simply not one.  There are lots of other things they should be focusing on instead of non issues like this.

Half the times they have called it in the pre-season - the player called for it was trying to get the ball to the ref FASTER - hitting a layup and then watching the ball bounce while the ref has to come and get it, will slow the game down if anything.

Kleen, what happens to the ball after a made basket used to be the responsibility of the inbounding team. If they could grab it quickly and take off, it was to their advantage. If they couldn't, it was to their disadvantage. But the opposing players and refs were not part of the equation unless the ball went seriously awry. As far as I know, the inbounding team still has the right to grab the ball without the ref handling it. For an opposing player to throw the ball to the ref slows down the inbounding team unless the ball otherwise would have been difficult for the inbounding team to capture quickly. Perhaps that was the case in the situation you're describing.

Sam

Kleen

I was a little confused too... after a made goal (field goal or Foul shot) the ball is considered live and need not be handled by the official. The new offensive team may grab it and inbound it asap. Any other time the ball goes out of bounds or there is a stoppage the ref must point to the inbound spot and place the ball in the hands of the inbounder or bounce it to them as is usual.

I remember multiple time Bird took the ball right from the net stepped out then threw a baseball pass to whoever in the frontcourt. You just don't see that anymore. If a player from the team that just scored grabs the ball and throws it to the ref as has been done in the past that should have been called even back then. This should speed things up. Also on the same line as Sam. If there is a whistle and a ball needs to be inbounded the ref should give the ball asap to the offensive teams player as soon as he is ready not wait for the defensive team even one second.

beat

sam wrote:Kleen, what happens to the ball after a made basket used to be the responsibility of the inbounding team.  If they could grab it quickly and take off, it was to their advantage.  If they couldn't, it was to their disadvantage.  But the opposing players and refs were not part of the equation unless the ball went seriously awry.  As far as I know, the inbounding team still has the right to grab the ball without the ref handling it.  For an opposing player to throw the ball to the ref slows down the inbounding team unless the ball otherwise would have been difficult for the inbounding team to capture quickly.  Perhaps that was the case in the situation you're describing.

Sam

Sam - I think you are right, and actually this is being called the KG Rule in many circles, since he is one of the main culprits.

However, some discretion should be exhibited by the refs.  If a player is trying to slow the game down- that is by definition, a delay of game.   But if I am under the basket rebounding - and a jump shot is hit by a teammate - and the ball lands in my hands - me throwing it to the opposition is NOT a delay of game.  Hopefully as the season wears on - they will regulate their calling of this rule.

I feel the same about traveling.  It is all well and good to call it against Marshon Brooks in a pre season game.  But I wont be a believer until they call it with 30 seconds left in a Heat game.  But we all know that will never happen.

Kleen,

Agree about the Heat game. Since I have no interest in watching any Heat game that's not against the Celtics, I'll trust you to tell me how the traveling rule is being enforced against Lebron and company in the non-Celtics Heat games.

I think that the reason the ball winds up in the hands of a teammate of a player who has just hit a jumper is often by intent, in order to slow down the offense of the other team by throwing the ball to the ref. But I believe there are many situations in which a ball comes through the cylinder and accidentally bounces off someone on the shooting team—even possibly his head—and that's not intentional. I think the real test of the refs will be to separate the intentional from the unintentional.

By the way how are you and your bride doing? (It's Erin, isn't it?) Well, I hope

Sam

sam wrote:Kleen,

Agree about the Heat game.  Since I have no interest in watching any Heat game that's not against the Celtics, I'll trust you to tell me how the traveling rule is being enforced against Lebron and company in the non-Celtics Heat games.

I think that the reason the ball winds up in the hands of a teammate of a player who has just hit a jumper is often by intent, in order to slow down the offense of the other team by throwing the ball to the ref.  But I believe there are many situations in which a ball comes through the cylinder and accidentally bounces off someone on the shooting team—even possibly his head—and that's not intentional.  I think the real test of the refs will be to separate the intentional from the unintentional.

By the way how are you and your bride doing?  (It's Erin, isn't it?)  Well, I hope

Sam

Totally agree....and I wont be watching too many Heat games either.

Erin is great - working on starting a family and all is well here in Melrose. Thanks for asking and hope we can find a time this season to hit up another game and dinner - hopefully we will have you and your wife around for both.

Kleen,

Starting a family. What difficult work! Well, try to make the best of it. LOL.

Looking forward to dinner and a game. The only time we'll be unavailable will be April 11-29 when we'll be in Paris and Venice.

Sam

Well excuse us.....sounds like a good excuse Sam. Talk soon.

MrKleen,

You and Erin should try the Wenham Tea House. We discovered it a few weeks back when we were visiting Boston. The Sunday brunches are great and serve a variety of food.

112288

112288 wrote:MrKleen,

You and Erin should try the Wenham Tea House. We discovered it a few weeks back when we were visiting Boston.  The Sunday brunches are great and serve a variety of food.

112288

Rich - my parents (Gene and Linda) live about 10 minutest from there. Erin had her wedding morning tea there last year with all the girls. Great place.

We should be up again soon so we will call you guys and meet for tea!

Karen sends her regards to you and Erin and your mom! Same for me!

Rich

That would be great Rich....lets talk soon.

Great!

Rich

In general it is better to have black/white rules whenever possible, such as what they are trying to implement with touching the ball after FGM. It is better to say "dont touch the ball, at all" than to say "dont do it with purpose to delay the game".

Less room for interpretation for both sides which also less room for disagreement and issues. You now know the circumstances, play accordingly. Otherwise players start pushing the rules or sometimes even just "be helpful".

swedeinestonia wrote:In general it is better to have black/white rules whenever possible, such as what they are trying to implement with touching the ball after FGM. It is better to say "dont touch the ball, at all" than to say "dont do it with purpose to delay the game".

Less room for interpretation for both sides which also less room for disagreement and issues. You now know the circumstances, play accordingly. Otherwise players start pushing the rules or sometimes even just "be helpful".

Like all rules they are subject to judgement and interpretation. Certainly there is a world of difference when a player touches the ball with his hands vs "bumping" into it with his body. Many times players are fighting for position under the basket when the shot goes up. If it is a clean swish it can go thru the net rather quickly a player trying to get offensive rebounding position could easily have the ball strike him especially if he has established inside position and I could even se a subtle push under the basket by the defensive rebounder to influence a potential call.

Think like soccer if you touch the ball with your hands after it passes thru the net your going to get whistled for delay all other contact should be a judgement call.

beat

It will be a judgement call for those circumstances but if you made it very clear that you should not touch the ball the ref is free to make the call and if you get hit by it then so be it (and they are free to free you for it).

If they are going to give some leeway with it? Dont know. Does not really matter. If they dont then you just have to adjust your game accordingly as an offensive player. I think it is better that they say "do not touch it" rather than "do not delay the game" or something like that.

I like the rule, too often do you see players from the (now) defending team bouncing the ball to the ref instead of just letting it be. Now it is up to the team with possession to push the pace.

If he gets pushed under the basket with intent to make him touch the ball it is breaking of a different rule and should be dealt with accordingly.

swede

I agree completey. Always thought that after scoring a player (now on defense) grabing the ball and passing it to the ref was not right but never saw anyone call anything. Now as you say doing that will cost the offending team. Almost think I'd like to see to free throws awarded for this rather than just one but regardless I do home they are consistant in calling it. Even a seemingly harmless tap towards the out of bounds needs to be called. Players will have to think....... and I know that in of itself can be an issue.

beat