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Monday, August 19, 2024

Basketball: Avoid Bad Fouls

"Foul for profit," says author and Coach Kevil Sivils. Avoiding bad fouls is a vital part of avoiding bad plays. 

Every foul isn't a bad play. Yet consider the following: 

  • A bad foul can relate to technique, judgment, and situation.
  • A bad foul can create "foul trouble" for a player or for a team resulting in the bonus. 
  • A bad foul can impact both score and time by allowing a team to score without using clock.

Technique flaws

- Reaching in - If it looks like a foul, it will likely be called a foul.             "Show your hands..." and "swipe up."  

- Chopping down - Don't swat down to block or to attack the dribble. 

- Leaning on - Move your feet. If you "body the player," it's a foul. 

- Positioning - Get "legal guarding position" with effort/anticipation.

Judgment and situation

- Fouling jump shots and three point shots are no-nos.

- Fouling to put a team into the position to win the game is folly.

- Technical fouls cost two shots and possession. What situations favor that strategically? 

- Fouling bail out shots, bad shots, and bad shooters is negative. 

Profitable fouls 

- Fouling to stop the clock, trailing close and late in the bonus 

- Hack-a-Shaq (fouling a poor shooter to direct free throws)

- Fouling to prevent a layup (if you don't allow a three-point play)

- Fouling to create a two-point opportunity "close and late" instead of a three-point shot 

General thoughts:

So often, a team 'fouls a lot' and creates the bonus for opponents. Players need coaching "not to foul" by using good technique. 

Teach players to learn to play with fouls. Great players can't help on the bench, so need training for technique and judgment. I intentionally left a future D1 player (Cecilia Kay) on the court in Q2 sometimes to teach her how to play with fouls. 

Players need a feel for the officiating. If the officials are calling it tight, there's less margin for contact. 

Players need to understand score and situation. You may need to foul more to get a team into the bonus (fourth quarter). 

Lagniappe. Discussion about avoiding fouls. 


Lagniappe 2. Wonderful video on small guard finishing. 
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