A trio of Oglethorpe women’s basketball players are joining the Insider contingent.
This season we have noticed that the amounts of charges called have significantly increased since last season. We find ourselves asking each other why is this happening? Charges used be to something a player would take pride in, seeing as there would be only a few charges called every few games. Now there are charges being called, at least for our games, every game, multiple times a game. This also makes us ask ourselves is this trend the same for men’s games? We think not! Why is it that when a girl makes an athletic move to the basket she must be out of control, yet men can do it all the time? If refs think this, then an out of position player can take a charge, or flop, which can change the whole momentum of the game. NEWS FLASH: GIRLS CAN MAKE ATHLETIC MOVES TO THE BASKET TOO! A charge used to get the bench on their feet and excited. Now a charge is just another part of the game, nothing extraordinary. A charge should be called if the player is clearly out of control and contact is made with the defensive player. Many of the charges that have been called have had no or barely any contact. The defensive player flops without even being touched. We would not be mistaken to say that 85% of the charges that have been called in our 8 games of play this year have been flops. This is just something we think should be addressed. We are not in high school anymore our games should be called this way, contact is inevitable. Sorry this is all for now. We must go to practice and practice flopping abilities seeing as that is the popular thing to do these days. Until next time, try not to miss our genius insight of the game too much!
Welcome to the blog! I’ve been to 10 women’s games at six venues this season (all in Ohio); I’ve seen good teams and bad, disciplined teams and playground style. I can’t say that I’ve noticed an abundance of undeserved player control fouls so far. Maybe this is another manifestation of regional variations in officiating? I’ll keep an eye out for this next time.
Katie, Kristina and Hannah-
Welcome aboard…looking forward to reading and getting the “inside” perspective on Oglethorpe hoops.
Interesting commentary. Can you imagine playing four minutes and receiving 5 fouls. “Things do happen” as so elequently stated by the Diva Queen in the movie Phantom of the Opera.
Sometimes players flip, sometimes they flop but the acting is getting better and after bball there is always an acting career.
As I have attended every Lady Petrels game this season, I too have wittnessed the incredible amount of offensive fouls that have been called. To be fair, ya’ll have been the beneficiaries at times of some of these ridiculous offensive fouls. The referees seem to get their ‘jollies’ from calling offensive fouls, I’m to the point where I almost believe that they get paid per charge that they call; they have to get their quota in. The biggest complaint I have about these charges is that they are often what I call “a no call situation.” Also, when did it become legal to take charges underneath the rim, it’s a shame that a player goes up for a layup, makes the basket then tries to land and hits a girl that is standing underneath the rim. The offensive player needs a place to land, the defensive player should either be called for the foul, or it should be a no call. I thought that if the shot got off before the contact was made, then the basket still counts but a charge can be assessed if the defensive player was set before the offensive player left the floor. Has this rule changed? If not, then the refs I’ve wittnessed thus far are absolutely worthless. I would say that our girls make some extremely athletic moves that are whistled as charges because the defender is off balance, receives a little contact and falls down. The charges that most of complaints stem from are not charges where the defender is set, but rather are charges that are called while both players are moving towards the basket. Why are defenders rewarded for falling down, or being clumsy, or being less athletic? It’s a shame to watch.
vozdelospetrels:
“Also, when did it become legal to take charges underneath the rim, it’s a shame that a player goes up for a layup, makes the basket then tries to land and hits a girl that is standing underneath the rim.”
The only league, from my understanding, that it is illegal to take a charge under the rim is the NBA. They have the semi-circle under the hoops to make sure they know their boundaries. If the player is waiting there, and the offensive player isn’t being slid under while in flight is a perfectly legal to take a charge. The question may come in though as I noted, if the player on defense slides under the air born offensive player, then that is a block.
With Festivus coming, and I know I’m a little early on this since it isn’t until the 23rd, I’m going to air my grievance now and say that I hate it and feel it is a copout call when the official counts the basket while calling a player control foul. The act of shooting ends when the player hits the floor right? Correct me if I’m wrong, but that is the way it is treated for jump shooters, so if the offense releases the ball, and while still airborn hits the defender, it should technically be no shot, since the act hadn’t ended.
Thoughts or corrections?
Pioneer Hoops,
Yes, you are correct about the NBA and it’s arc, however, I’m talking about charges that are taken directly underneath the rim. The NBA arc otlaws charges being taken from directly underneath the rim to 4 ft out from the basket, a much larger area than what I’m concerned with, I’m concerned with the landing zone. Why should a defensive player be rewarded for standing where any player on a normal layup would land. The defense is rewarded for running underneath the basket, not for making an attempt to stop the play. I know many people view the player control foul in a different light, I just think that the defense is being rewarded with more and more player control fouls, and I don’t think that defenses have gotten that much better, only better at flopping.