End Of Game Foul Strategy

[Ardenque]

If this has already been discussed please let me know.

What’s to prevent a team that’s losing, near the end of the fourth quarter or overtime,
from fouling the other team’s worst foul shooter who is away from the ball?

From what I saw in the UConn - NC State game, it looks as if you can foul anyone before the ball
is even inbounded without suffering any penalty beyond the foul shots.

 

[hard2please]

you can foul anyone even before the clock starts. most teams and coaches are just stupid.

 

[oldude]

If I recall correctly, that’s exactly what NCSt did against UConn, fouling before the ball was inbounded. Unfortunately, they fouled Azzi.

But as the OP suggests, the losing team can foul the opposing team’s worst foul shooter, and no time goes off the clock.

I have seen it done many times. I’ve always felt it should be a technical foul resulting in both foul shots and possession of the ball, in order to discourage the practice altogether.

 

[Bald Husky]

If I recall correctly, that’s exactly what NCSt did against UConn, fouling before the ball was inbounded. Unfortunately, they fouled Azzi.

But as the OP suggests, the losing team can foul the opposing team’s worst foul shooter, and no time goes off the clock.

I have seen it done many times. I’ve always felt it should be a technical foul resulting in both foul shots and possession of the ball, in order to discourage the practice altogether.

It happens all the time @oldude. I've seen it many times through the years, and most of the time it wasn't intentional. The ref can't see whether it was intentional or not, so it will never be called as such. At the end of a game, and losing, it is a good strategy to do that. The only way a team can combat that is to have all good FF shooters on the floor in the last few minutes.

 

[Ardenque]

This is done frequently and is common knowledge?
Then why did Stanford (a well coached team?) chase whoever had the ball
around the court like a cat chasing a laser pointer, instead of just running into Edwards?

Regarding the intentional foul aspect:
There are ways to disguise the intentionality of a foul.
Also, how many times have we seen the ball handler just being grabbed
without an intentional being called.

I have never seen this in a college game until NC State,
I’ve seen a foul committed before the inbounds in the pros and I believe there the fouled team retains possession.

This is a HUGH loophole.
(If Bill Belichick were coaching college basketball I’m sure we would be seeing this all
the time until the rule was changed.)

 

[Jim]

Then why did Stanford (a well coached team?) chase whoever had the ball
around the court like a cat chasing a laser pointer, instead of just running into Edwards?

Besides Fudd, Edwards is one of the best free throw shooters on the team. Perhaps Geno having the team get the ball to her when Azzi was covered and Tara knowing that stat as well played into that sequence.

 

[dogpause]

If you're playing this UConn team, you had better come up with a Plan B, because those made free throws are demorlaizing and place even more pressure on your next offensive posession.

 

[Bigboote]

I've always wondered why teams don't do this. You foul whomever you want and no time goes off the clock.

I wonder if officials just don't call pre-inbounds fouls that are obviously done for this reason (say, someone who's situated so that she's really unlikely to get the inbounds pass). Maybe they wait until it's egregious and then call an intentional foul?

 

[mudblood]

This is done frequently and is common knowledge?
Then why did Stanford (a well coached team?) chase whoever had the ball
around the court like a cat chasing a laser pointer, instead of just running into Edwards?

Regarding the intentional foul aspect:
There are ways to disguise the intentionality of a foul.
Also, how many times have we seen the ball handler just being grabbed
without an intentional being called.

I have never seen this in a college game until NC State,
I’ve seen a foul committed before the inbounds in the pros and I believe there the fouled team retains possession.

This is a HUGH loophole.
(If Bill Belichick were coaching college basketball I’m sure we would be seeing this all
the time until the rule was changed.)

The key detail is whether it is intentional or not. Away from the ball if it is intentional the other team gets the ball back after the free throws. Which is why they keep running after the player with the ball and that player keeps running away and/or tries to pass the ball. Very risky to purposely foul before the inbounds and try to make it look not intentional.

 

[Ardenque]

Besides Fudd, Edwards is one of the best free throw shooters on the team. Perhaps Geno having the team get the ball to her when Azzi was covered and Tara knowing that stat as well played into that sequence.

Jim, Tara is an excellent coach.
The point I’m trying to make is: Target who you consider to be the shakiest foul shooter on the floor and immediately
foul her. Don’t waste time running around the court following the ball.
There is no penalty to be paid for doing this.
Game after game after game we see the ball being chased with precious seconds
ticking off the clock. Why?

 

[dcheng021]

Hack-a-Muhl

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Jim, Tara is an excellent coach.
The point I’m trying to make is: Target who you consider to be the shakiest foul shooter on the floor and immediately
foul her. Don’t waste time running around the court following the ball.
There is no penalty to be paid for doing this.
Game after game after game we see the ball being chased with precious seconds
ticking off the clock. Why?

Because it can be called intentional. Or be upgraded if you foul her more roughly than you intend. Then, there is a penalty as they get the ball back.

It is not common for a foul to be called before the inbound, and as the television announcer said, the NC State foul was likely not intentional. Many teams want to try to steal the ball before fouling. Once the ball is inbounded referees will generally not call an intentional if it is the ball handler that is fouled, because they do know you are trying to foul and as long as you seem to be going after the ball, well, how can they really determine intent. But if you try to foul some other player (and with neither player having the ball, the call could go either way, really) you are at risk for the intentional call. I have seen it happen. IIRC years ago Rutgers got in the habit of fouling before the inbounds, however at least half the time it didn't work out, not good odds.

The worst is when some of the referees "anticipate" an intentional foul when none is intended; OTH, some make the fouling player be pretty aggressive before calling it. In both cases I have seen coaches get really, really upset.

 

[Engineer59]

The prolonging the game at the end by fouling is always intentional. It just almost never called. It's my opinion that a game should never be able to be won by deliberating committing a violation of the game rules. A solution to this would be to allow the team that was fouled, whenever it occurred anytime during the game and free throws are awarded, to have the choice of free throws or keeping the ball and taking it out of bounds with a minimum of 20 seconds on the shot clock.

 

[DefenseBB]

Hack-a-Muhl

I just don't get how a point guard can be such a poor free throw shooter as Nika is. I mean, of all things you can practice on your own and is a direct extension of "passing" a ball to the right spot all the time. SMH....