Differential foul shooting opportunity is one of the updated Four Factors. Get to the foul line but don't send opponents there.
Fouling hurts teams in many ways.
- Free throws are high points per possession shots.
- Sometimes they replace bad or bailout shots. Don't reward bad shots by fouling.
- They get our players in foul trouble which may get them benched or cautious.
- They allow opponents to come back by scoring with clock stoppage.
- They lead to player disqualification (fouling out).
- Sometimes they impact officials broadly if there's "referee abuse."
1. Make it a point of emphasis. Texas coach Kevin Sivils teaches, "foul for profit."
2. Don't give the officials an 'excuse'. Make players decide the game, not the officials. If something 'looks like' a foul, it will usually get called, like chopping down on blocked shots.
3. "SHOW YOUR HANDS." Some coaches literally yell, "show your hands," reminding the referees 'we're avoiding fouls'.
4. Don't reach in. Use hand discipline.
5. Advise plays to tap 'up' on the ball instead of swiping down.
6. Never foul jump shots. Make the opponent make them, especially three-pointers.
7. Move your feet. Maintaining "legal guarding position" requires good footwork with balance and quickness.
8. Don't block shots with a "hitting down" follow-through, this often gets called.
9. Avoid "upper bodying" the dribbler. This also leads to fouling.
10. "Over the back" may not exist (pushing is the call) but be aware that if you're in foul trouble, it's another way to get in trouble.
11. Read the game. If the officials are calling the game tightly, react to that.
12. Teach foul discipline. For what it's worth, when I coached Cecilia Kay (Boston Herald Dream Team, McDonald's All-American nominee) in middle school, I played her with foul trouble, training her to learn to play with fouls. This has helped her stay on the court in high school as a high impact player.
Lagniappe. Pitino on effort.
Watch until the end
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) January 31, 2024
Great stuff from the legend on the ranking system they give their players individually every practice
“Low Motor, Mid Motor, High Motor”
(Via @Davee_8 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/YBtm4KLURH
Lagniappe 2. Accountability means "holding yourself to a high standard."
What does ACCOUNTABILITY look like on your team?
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) January 30, 2024
- Bad teams are not held accountable.
- Good teams are held accountable by the coach.
- Championship teams are held accountable by each other.
Leadership Matters.
Lagniappe 3. Control your fouling.
Focus on the things YOU Control! Everyone wants their opinion to be heard, but not every opinion deserves to be valued.
— Coach Ray Ostrowski (@CoachRayO3313) January 30, 2024
Those who control their own controllables tend to be those who gain the most credibility. In order to properly lead, you must first be able to lead by example pic.twitter.com/LPpTTZ48eg
Lagniappe 4. Super video from Dave Love on shooting errors
