Rule makes penalty consistent for team-, player-control fouls

Team-control fouls in high school basketball will be adjudicated in the same manner as player-control fouls beginning next season, according to a new rule recently approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations board of directors.

According to an NFHS news release, the penalty for a team-control foul will be a throw-in in all cases. Team-control fouls are any fouls committed by the team in control of the ball, such as player-control fouls, illegal screens, and running into a stationary defender after releasing the ball for a pass.

“It doesn’t have to be on the player with the ball, just the team in control of the ball,” said Peter Webb, who recently was elected to a sixth three-year term as Maine’s basketball commissioner. “And it involves play regardless of where the foul occurs, so long as the ball is in play.”

That differentiates the new high school rule for team-control fouls – which was the rule several decades ago before being changed – from the collegiate rule, which provides for a team-control foul change of possession even while the ball is being inbounded, Webb said.

The addition of Rule 4-19-7 and revision of Rule 7-5-5 establishes the definition of a team-control foul and now makes the penalty consistent with a player-control foul.

“This change makes enforcement of the rule easier for officials,” said Larry Boucher, assistant commissioner of Kentucky High School Athletic Association and chairman of the NFHS basketball rules committee, in the release. “Under the present rule, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether a player in control has released the ball on a pass or interrupted dribble before the player charges. It is equally difficult to determine whether a player has received a pass before the player charges. This change now makes the penalty consistent for a player-control foul and a team-control foul.”

Webb said one rationale the rules committee used in making the change was that it was considered a time saver to inbound the ball rather than walking the length of the court for free throws, given that most team control-fouls take place at the offensive end.

Other rule revisions address the following:

. Change the penalty for a double personal, double technical and simultaneous fouls from an alternating possession throw-in to resuming play from the point at which it was interrupted. The fouls will be charged to the players of each team and the ball will be put back in play.

. States that players leaving the court for unauthorized reasons will be charged with a violation instead of a technical foul, which was the former penalty. The rationale for this change, according to the NFHS, is that the technical foul penalty may have been too severe, and thus the infraction was rarely called

In high school, violations can be assessed for lingering out of bounds after making an inbounds pass, or leaving the lane and going out of bounds to avoid a three-seconds violation, Webb said. This is different than the college rule, in which leaving the court is not a violation until the player comes back onto the court and is the first to touch the ball.

“In high school, when you leave the court and go out of bounds, that’s the violation,” said Webb, who sat in on the NFHS rules committee meetings the changes that will take effect in the 2005-06 season.

. Prohibits a team member from removing his or her uniform within the confines of the playing area. According to NFHS rules officials, players removing their uniforms to show disgust is becoming an increasingly popular trend.

Points of emphasis identified by the rules committee for the coming season will include unsporting conduct, free throws and intentional fouls.

Webb said there was some discussion about having a shot clock in high school basketball, but that there is still not a lot of support for the clock at the national level.

Basketball is the most popular sport in girls high school athletics, with 457,986 participants in 17,061 schools, according to the 2003-04 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. In terms of participation, it trails only football as the most popular sport for boys with 544,811 participants, while ranking first with 17,389 schools offering programs.

Sportmanship winners noted

From the better late than never department comes congratulations for all the winter sports teams honored by the Maine Principals’ Association with sportsmanship banners:

Basketball: Class A: East boys: Brewer; East girls: Lewiston; West boys: Westbrook; West girls: Sanford; Class B: East boys: Mount Desert Island; East girls: Maranacook of Readfield; West boys: Mountain Valley of Rumford; West girls: York; Class C: East boys: Piscataquis of Guilford; East girls: Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln; West boys: Boothbay; West girls: Traip Academy of Kittery; Class D: East boys: Washburn; East girls: Greater Houlton Christian Academy; West boys: Richmond; West girls: Pine Tree Academy of Freeport

Wrestling: Class A: East: Medomak Valley of Waldoboro; West: Westbrook; Class B: East: Mount Desert Island; West: Erskine Academy of South China; Class C: East: John Bapst of Bangor; West: Monmouth Academy

Ice hockey: Class A: East: none awarded; West: Bonny Eagle of Standish; Class B: East: Orono; West: Greely of Cumberland Center

Swimming: Class A: Westbrook boys and Lewiston girls; Class B: Greely boys and John Bapst girls.

Dexter honors top seniors

Dexter High honored 13 recipients of its Tiger Awards during a banquet held Sunday night, according to Peter Murray, the Dexter boys baskeball coach and one of the awards’ organizers.

Established in 2004, the Tiger Award is established to recognize and promote a superior level of participation among athletes at Dexter Regional High School, as well as to recognize exemplary achievement in high school sports.

Recipients of the Tiger Awards must have played at least two sports while at Dexter and earned six varsity letters. A selection committee evaluates all eligible candidates and chooses honorees based on sportsmanship, character, leadership, dedication and athletic contributions/achievements.

Recipients of the 2005 Tiger Awards are Ashley Ames, Chris Barkac, Sam Bowers, Nikki Chapman, Eric Day, Meagan Fogarty, Tim McCarthy, Cristy McGowen, Matt Murray, Tyler Poirier, Mark Pullen, Chris Rabideau and Blake Woodruff.