Push from behind quiz

[LaxRef]

A1 has the ball and B1 comes up to check him. At the last second, A1 turns his back to B1 and B1 is unable to stop himself from pushing (not body checking) A1 from behind. The pushing is done with the closed hand, and both hands are on the crosse.

What is the ruling? And, more to the point, can you justify this ruling via NCAA or NFHS rules?

[laxfan25]

In NCAA, I would extend the note included under Illegal Bodycheck 5.4.c to cover this eventuality. If it is a push, that is a minor version of an illegal bodycheck if you will.
Note: If a player who is about to be body checked turns his back, ducks or jumps in
such a manner as to make what started to be a legal check appear illegal, no foul is committed by the player applying the body check. The initial contact, not any secondary contact, shall determine whether a body check is legal. No official should
make the call “from the rear” or “below the waist,” unless he sees the initial contact.

I would use the same logic under NFHS - Rule 5.3.4 - illegal bodycheck. In my mind, the difference between a push from behind and an illegal bodycheck from the rear is just a matter of severity of the contact.

[LaxRef]

That's the point I wanted to make: even though officials almost universally avoid the push from behind call if the player turns, the rules actually only instruct us to do this with respect to illegal bodychecks.

Not that I'm saying we shouldn't pass on the push call when the player turns, I just thing it's interesting that they don't say explicitly. Could you imagine this conversation:

Ref: Push from behind
Coach: He turned!
Ref: Yes, but that only applies to illegal body checks.
Coach: I demand that you call that as an illegal bodycheck against my player.
Ref: Okay, he turned, no foul!

[3rdPersonPlural]

OhMiGAWD I didn't know that! Thanks guys. :bawling: Now my officiating career is flashing before my eyes with all those push with possession calls that I deemed the product of turning getting flagged.

Hold on while I reboot......... :hot:

[tomahawks11]

i have in the canadian box and field rule book that no matter how hard the hit is that if the player turned, then no penalty shall be called

[LaxRef]

i have in the canadian box and field rule book that no matter how hard the hit is that if the player turned, then no penalty shall be called

Do you guys not have unnecessary roughness?

[cslaxplaya11]

i think the have the same rules of the rez