Is basketball getting to physical?

[Steven A.]

On ESPN College Gameday a few weeks ago they had a discussion about basketball becoming to much of a physical game, personally I think it is. Whatever happened to moving your feet on Defense? If a player sets a screen for a teammate the defender guarding the player coming off the screen is holding. Jamming the cutter after a pass is like watching to wrestlers lock up. I know the athletes of today are bigger and stronger from high school to the pros, but I am sick of watching (30-40 pt.) high school games, (50-60 pt.) college games and don't really care about the pros. Is it the coaching, officiating, lack of rules? Thanks alot Pistons ( Bad Boys) and Knicks (early- mid 90's) . What do you think?

[Out of Bounds]

it's just simple evolution of the game. if you don't like watch 40-50 point games, how do you like watching games with 30 fouls on each team. officials need to let some physical play go. it's simple advantage/disadvantage. i hate to see over the back calls when the kid tries to back off and just makes some contact that doesn't disrupt the play at all. simple no harm no foul. let them play!

[boomer633]

Basketball has become too physical and it's been a progression as officials let more and more go uncalled. Hand checks, hooking in the post, and jersey grabbing is more and more prevalent each year. The rules are in place, the enforcement of the rules is lacking.

[Steven A.]

Basketball has become too physical and it's been a progression as officials let more and more go uncalled. Hand checks, hooking in the post, and jersey grabbing is more and more prevalent each year. The rules are in place, the enforcement of the rules is lacking.

I Agree!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jake Roberts]

It has gotten too physical. There are some teams that foul every time down the court. After a while, though, officials start to think they need to even up the fouls, instead of rewarding the team that plays good defense. Some teams should have 30 fouls called against them a game because they actually foul that much.

[Steven A.]

The coaches are teaching the kids to get away with anything they can. I think coaches realize that they can't guard a team with more athletes, so they teach their kids to be more physical. Instead of teaching a team to be efficient on offense with good passing, good cuts, setting legal screens, and taking good shots. Their is nothing more beautiful in B-ball than seeing a nice backdoor cut for a basket or a well executed play. It is also nice to see a defender read a play and make a steal. It is hard to see it with all of the holding and grabbing that is allowed. The offensive player has to be set on a screen or it is a foul, yet the defensive player can permit the offensive player from moving by jamming them. Why can't he move his feet and get into a good position? A great thing about B-ball is anticipation (read/react). Bill Russell said , he didn't try to block every shot, he wanted his opponents to think he was going to block every shot. It is easy to teach a kid to hold, but hard to get them to anticipate. If you took the holding out of B-ball the cream will rise to the top.

[Out of Bounds]

Everyone needs to remember they're post the next time you see the best players setting on the bench and 8, 9 and 10 players are fumbling around on the court because their has been 38 fouls called in the first half. Makes me want to go out and buy a ticket.

[boomer633]

Everyone needs to remember they're post the next time you see the best players setting on the bench and 8, 9 and 10 players are fumbling around on the court because their has been 38 fouls called in the first half. Makes me want to go out and buy a ticket.

If they follow the rules that shouldn't happen.

[Steven A.]

Everyone needs to remember they're post the next time you see the best players setting on the bench and 8, 9 and 10 players are fumbling around on the court because their has been 38 fouls called in the first half. Makes me want to go out and buy a ticket.

please explain this to me!!

[avalanche]

Basketball is physical, and it should be. Michael Jordan was a physical player. I agree, evolution of the game. Let them play!

[Steven A.]

:aaaaa18

Basketball is physical, and it should be. Michael Jordan was a physical player. I agree, evolution of the game. Let them play!

its not football or hockey. They both are intended to be physical games, basketball wasn't intended to have all this holding and grabbing. I am not saying you can get rid of all the physical play because of evolution, but cut out the holding and pushing. Anybody that has attempted to play b-ball says "D" is played with the feet. I've played alot of streetball and know how things can get out there. It helps you become a strong player, but there is no room for it in organized basketball. It also is a different game.

[avalanche]

What about boxing out? You going to take that away because it is a physical part of the game? It is physical down in the paint, more so then around the arc. Both players trying to get position, and there are elbows thrown, jersey's held, etc. It is a part of the game.

[boomer633]

What about boxing out? You going to take that away because it is a physical part of the game? It is physical down in the paint, more so then around the arc. Both players trying to get position, and there are elbows thrown, jersey's held, etc. It is a part of the game.

Throwing elbows and grabbing jerseys are part of the game. They are called fouls and should be called as such.

[alabama mike]

IMO, it is too physical now with the play.

[91blue14]

call the reaches and stop having all the jump balls, call the hook, and call the elbow for seperation and the hancheck. defender beat guy to the spot offensive foul. they will play football if you dont call the game

[crazymidgets]

I believe its up to the officials to set the tone of the game, if they call the handchecking and holding early in a game it stops, if they dont the players will see how far they can go and it gets worse, pretty natural progression.
I hate seeing teams handcheck!!!!! But I like to see physical play, boxing out, strong picks, in your face d.

[91blue14]

crazymidgets i would agree.

i would just add way to many jump balls given on reach ins dont ya think.

people think handchecks are ticky tack.

you gotta call screens or someone going to get blasted.

[crazymidgets]

Yes I totally agree on that 91blue14, you see it every game a player goes down on the floor for a loose ball then 2 players jump on them and the next thing you have is a jump ball when it should have been a foul when the first player makes contact with the player controlling the ball, looks like a rugby scrumb out there, whats up with that?

[Out of Bounds]

Everyone needs to remember they're post the next time you see the best players setting on the bench and 8, 9 and 10 players are fumbling around on the court because their has been 38 fouls called in the first half. Makes me want to go out and buy a ticket.

please explain this to me!!

The game is called on an advantage-disadvantage point of view. I see way too many over the back calls when there has been no advantage gained. Yes there may be some contact, but if the rebounder maintains possession, and clears it, you don't need to make that call. If the contact causes displacement or loss of control it's a foul. It's called preventive officiating. Believe it or not...good officials try not to foul out the best players. No body came to see subs play except for the subs parents. It should be called the same way even with hand checks. If the defensive player is gaining an advantage with it, call it. Most the time an official can warn the player during a dead ball or verbally warn a player while it is going on. Try not to call a bunch of fouls!!!!

[allohio87]

The game of basketball will never become to physical. A lot of underdog teams win ball games because they are simply stonger and more physical. If basketball was to become less physical i think it would lose the interest of many fans.