Seems like this early season's posts seem to have an overly heavy number of late game intentional fouls being criticized by fans. This very subjective call leaves lots of room for official to official interpretation. Tim Malloy of Ref60 seems to think a simple descriptive name change from intentional foul to "excessive foul" would aid officials in properly calling this violation. Like to hear what our trained, experienced officials and coaches think.

From the rulebook:

 

 

ART. 3 . . . An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may not be premeditated

and is not based solely on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include, but are not limited to:

a. Contact that neutralizes an opponent's obvious advantageous position.

b. Contact away from the ball with an opponent who is clearly not involved with a play.

c. Contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball/player specifically designed to stop

the clock or keep it from starting.

d. Excessive contact with an opponent while the ball is live or until an airborne shooter

returns to the floor.

e. Contact with a thrower-in as in 9-2-10 Penalty 4.

From the rulebook:

 

 

ART. 3 . . . An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may not be premeditated

and is not based solely on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include, but are not limited to:

a. Contact that neutralizes an opponent's obvious advantageous position.

b. Contact away from the ball with an opponent who is clearly not involved with a play.

c. Contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball/player specifically designed to stop

the clock or keep it from starting.

d. Excessive contact with an opponent while the ball is live or until an airborne shooter

returns to the floor.

e. Contact with a thrower-in as in 9-2-10 Penalty 4.

 

Saw a game last week where, at the end of the game, the trailing team's coach was jumping up and down on the sideline screaming for his kids to foul (to stop the clock). They were doing a very poor job getting in front of the ball, and finally one kid just pushed the ballhandler from behind. It wasn't excessive, but it was with two hands in the lower back area (no where near the ball). No intentional foul called there. Should there have been?

Seems in reality all late game fouls to stop clock are premeditated, arguably not an attempt to really play ball, but make it look like it to the best of your acting ability. This late game call just appears too subjective and varies so much official to official. Kind of like ones taste in women...."beauty to one man might be ugly to another". An intentional to one official may be viewed by another as just a smart personal foul.

If a coach is telling kids to foul, how can't that be intentional?

If a coach is telling kids to foul, how can't that be intentional?

It's all about the "look". Good actors get favorable reviews....bad actors get both favorable and unfavorable reviews. IMO, just a bad rule. Ticky-tacky stop the clock fouls to me are strategic, timely, and should not be subject to punitive penalty. Personally like to see the rule change to "excessive" and in my rulebook would be easily spotted as to one step below flagrant.