After reading comments about referee issues throughout the state, I have to admit that one glaring inconsistency that hurts player development and also costs games is the lack of understanding of the 'verticality' rule. The verticality rule states that a defender has a vertical plane that they can stay on the floor in or become airborne in--that is their space to occupy even when their hands are in the air or when they are jumping in their vertical plane (paraphrasing from the NFHS rulebook).
What I see are offensive players ramming down the lanes, throwing their bodies into defenders who are occupying their own vertical plane, and getting fouls in the act of shooting when they are the ones violating the defender's vertical plane. I am not talking about defenders who 'belly up' or use their lower body to throw off shooters in the act of shooting which is clearly a foul. I am talking about an offensive player who drives to the hole, throws his or her body into a defender and gets the foul called over and over and over. A defender has the right to not only hold their ground but can also go into the air with arms extended in their vertical plane. I believe refs are under the false impression that because a defender jumps into the air that the defender loses all right to their area. This is clearly wrong. Anyway, this lack of consistency in calls takes away key players in games and makes offensive players look better than they are when the offensive player should be the one called for the foul.
Sorry, just venting about a problem I see in games at all levels and areas. It's pretty lame and should be fixed next year with better training.
What I see are offensive players ramming down the lanes, throwing their bodies into defenders who are occupying their own vertical plane, and getting fouls in the act of shooting when they are the ones violating the defender's vertical plane. I am not talking about defenders who 'belly up' or use their lower body to throw off shooters in the act of shooting which is clearly a foul. I am talking about an offensive player who drives to the hole, throws his or her body into a defender and gets the foul called over and over and over. A defender has the right to not only hold their ground but can also go into the air with arms extended in their vertical plane. I believe refs are under the false impression that because a defender jumps into the air that the defender loses all right to their area. This is clearly wrong. Anyway, this lack of consistency in calls takes away key players in games and makes offensive players look better than they are when the offensive player should be the one called for the foul.
Sorry, just venting about a problem I see in games at all levels and areas. It's pretty lame and should be fixed next year with better training.
