Loyd's cheap shot to Jefferson's head

[CL82]

Basketball is sometimes a contact sport-ish happens! Bumping cutter to the basket is a well established defensive move... .

...that is illegal and periodically a point of emphasis of the refs.

 

[CocoHusky]

...that is illegal and periodically a point of emphasis of the refs.

It is not illegal to bump a cutter. It is illegal to obstruct or reroute a cutter. Huge difference. The latter prevents him/her from going where he/she wants to go the former lets him know that you are present and now he/she has something else to think about. The better coaches will instruct players to increase the intensity of the bump until the referee calls a foul at which point it is up to the player dial down the intensity.

 

[JoePgh]

It is not illegal to bump a cutter. It is illegal to obstruct or reroute a cutter. Huge difference. The latter prevents him/her from going where he/she wants to go the former lets him know that you are present and now he/she has something else to think about. The better coaches will instruct players to increase the intensity of the bump until the referee calls a foul at which point it is up to the player dial down the intensity.

The legality of the bump depends on whether the defender has established position. The same block/ charge rules apply as in the situation where the offensive player was driving with the ball. Neither the offensive player nor the defender is entitled to displace the opponent from a position which (s)he has established by getting to that spot on the floor first.

The intensity of the contact is irrelevant to the legality of the bump, just as in the case of a ball screen. What matters is who has established position.

 

[geneticrex]

Bridgeport Fire Department???

 

[Striper69]

I recorded some WNBA games the season before last.

In one game Maya got hit right in the mouth (inadvertently). The announcers noted it.

Maya just touched her mouth and kept right on playin'.

Chit happens.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I dunno - looks like the OP was the real cheap shot.

 

[mhshuskies]

The problem was that Mo didn't learn from the nd playbook. She didn't flop when an opposing player was within 5 feet.

 

[alexrgct]

Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets to Mo's head. Meanwhile, there was no cheap shot at all, but Moriah sure as hell got to Loyd's head!!!

 

[tower1]

Watched a couple times in slow motion... Jefferson puts her hand on (grabs?) Loyd's arm. Loyd does swim move to get her arm free while they are bodying up/trying to establish position. On down swing her arm makes contact with top of Jefferson's head. Doesn't look intentional at all... and I wouldn't really call it a "cheap shot."

I would!

 

[ndmb]

...that is illegal and periodically a point of emphasis of the refs.

I don't know if you're technically correct, but in practice, you're certainly not. Every team bumps cutters, because ref's aren't going to blow the whistle for not a lot of contact. Even if technically illegal, if a ref isn't going to call it, it's part of the game. As Coco mentioned, aggressive defense is sometimes the art of feeling out where the refs are and responding appropriately. But I've bumped cutters and been bumped as a cutter a lot, and the level of contact has to be pretty egregious before most refs will blow the whistle.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

ndmb has it right in this case. I don't always subscribe to the "refs can't call them all" theory - in fact, I rarely do - but on routine bumping he / she has it right. Getting too aggressive and failing to adjust leads to lots of fouls, but a little routine bumping is almost always let go. Here, the offensive player can "act" a little and make it look worse, and of course it seems like no 2 refs have exactly the same "line in the sand", but . . .

 

[BroadwayVa]

Not really a big deal.

The questions are: intentional, accidental, incidental--which? I respect players for good tough play (Mo does that) but if intentional it matters to me even a month later--I have thought highly of Loyd as a human and as a player--but I lose respect for ANYONE who attacks another player with intent to hurt--there is no time limit on that.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don't know if you're technically correct, but in practice, you're certainly not. Every team bumps cutters, because ref's aren't going to blow the whistle for not a lot of contact. Even if technically illegal, if a ref isn't going to call it, it's part of the game. As Coco mentioned, aggressive defense is sometimes the art of feeling out where the refs are and responding appropriately. But I've bumped cutters and been bumped as a cutter a lot, and the level of contact has to be pretty egregious before most refs will blow the whistle.

Technically "contact" is a foul, impeding another player is an offense, the "men's " game evolved into more push, shove, hip clip, slap, --from the playgrounds. DT and Maya and now Stewie are used in most games as the ball in pinball games. The Refs can and should call most of these-- are they waiting until a player is disabled to make the call. If emphasis is placed on this "illegal" action it will go a long way to slow it down.
But that's an NCAA/League issue---until they find this repulsive it shall continue. It certainly slows down the run and gun game that fans seem to love to watch.

 

[Mattyshangs]

I've been watching this chippy stuff for a couple years now. As soon as Stewie took the court, opposing players began " bumping into her " as they were passing by. Go ahead and view some film with Stewie at the line. Notice how many opposing players take advantage of an opportunity to just " walk into her ". Contact during the framework of the game is expected, but these are messages of intimidation. The officials don't put up with this activity in men's games. I'd like to see a warning assessed for the first infraction, then technical fouls. After losing a player for a game, the coaches will put an end to the nonsense !

Officiating in the womens' game sucks.

 

[CL82]

I don't know if you're technically correct, but in practice, you're certainly not. Every team bumps cutters, because ref's aren't going to blow the whistle for not a lot of contact. Even if technically illegal, if a ref isn't going to call it, it's part of the game. As Coco mentioned, aggressive defense is sometimes the art of feeling out where the refs are and responding appropriately. But I've bumped cutters and been bumped as a cutter a lot, and the level of contact has to be pretty egregious before most refs will blow the whistle.

You are right, it is common practice, and UConn has been know to do it as well. It was a point of emphasis for a while but then they backed off of it.

 

[Geno-ista]

The questions are: intentional, accidental, incidental--which? I respect players for good tough play (Mo does that) but if intentional it matters to me even a month later--I have thought highly of Loyd as a human and as a player--but I lose respect for ANYONE who attacks another player with intent to hurt--there is no time limit on that.

Jewell also set a pick in the paint on an in bounds for an easy Turner lay up. I didn't realize how chippy the play was and how badly officiated the NC game was until I watched it again last night. The refs succeeded in keeping the game close to keep the TV audience to the end.

 

[ndmb]

Technically "contact" is a foul,.

That's not true. There are numerous examples of legal contact between a defensive player and the offensive player, which include everything from a measure of touch on the perimeter to using your position on the floor to keep an offensive player out of the post.