But isn’t incidental contact to the face a flagrant? I remember Lou getting hit in the face last year in the AAC tournament and that being mentioned.
I. Incidental contact to the face often is NOT a flagrant (now called an unsportsmanlike foul in the rules). First, to rise to the level of being a flagrant/unsportsmanlike foul, a player-contact foul must fall into one of these categories under the rules, with the last one being the most relevant one when it comes to elbows:
a. Not a legitimate attempt to make a direct play on the ball;
b. Contact designed to negate an opponent's obvious advantageous position;
c. Contact away from the ball against an opponent who is clearly not involved in the play, designed to stop the game clock or prevent it from starting;
d. Contacting an opponent making a throw-in. This act shall also serve as a team warning for reaching through the boundary. (See Rule 4-9.1.g.);
e. Excessive, hard and/or unnecessary contact against an opponent; and
f. Illegal contact caused by the swinging of an elbow that is deemed excessive or unnecessary.
Further on, the rules give guidance as to what type of swinging of the elbow is "excessive".
II. Often elbow contact is not viewed as excessive under the rules:
"Action of a player's arm(s) and elbow(s) resulting from total body movement as in pivoting or movement of the ball incidental to faking with it, releasing it, or moving it to prevent a held ball or loss of control, shall NOT be considered excessive." (My note: this can still be a regular personal foul however.)
III. Examples of extreme use of the elbows are:
"a. When arm(s) and elbow(s) are swung about while using the shoulders as pivots, and the speed of the extended arm(s) and elbow(s) exceeds that of the rest of the body as it rotates on the hips or on the pivot foot; or b. When the speed and vigor with which the arm(s) and elbow(s) are swung is such that injury could result if another player was contacted."
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Thus, moving the elbow as described in II above is not normally a flagrant/unsportsmanlike. Also if the arm is moved - but not swung excessively - to try to make a basketball play such as catching a pass or grabbing a rebound, it is likely to not be viewed as flagrant/unsportsmanlike if an elbow inadvertently contacts a player's face as long as it is not excessive.
