swampthing wrote:sorry for originally posting this in the water cooler:
I've seen it before, but what negates a ground ball? Does a clean (i.e. player wins the draw and hits the ball straight to his wingman virtually uncontested) faceoff win count as a GB for the wingman - or faceoff man if the same uncontested GB scenario is applied? What if the player drops his own ball while transitioning or on offense and regains possession?
Also, when do you award a successful clear? Is it anytime possession changes and the other team gets it into the box?
Last, is it a penalty or violation for a coach to ask for a timeout when his player is outside of the offensive area even though he's on the offensive side of the field?
Thanks for the help!
From the NCAA Rule Book Appendix II on Record Keeping:
Clear—The attempt by one team to move the ball from its defensive
end of the field into its offensive end of the field. A clear fails when this
attempt is unsuccessful. A failure to clear should not be recorded when
the defending team fails to clear when it is playing extra-man defense. A
successful clear should be awarded only when the clearing team crossed
the center line with the ball and is clearly able to initiate an offensive
attempt from the play. Advancing the ball across the center line does not
automatically mean a clear should be awarded if the clearing team loses
possession of the ball almost immediately.
Ground ball—Any ball not in the possession of one team that comes
into the possession of the other team in live-ball play can be a ground
ball. This may occur on an intercepted pass (the ball does not have to hit
the ground) or from a ball checked loose onto the ground. Further, the
ball must be obtained under pressure (another opposing player must be
within 5 yards of the loose ball). When such a ground ball is obtained,
the player gaining the ground ball must be able to perform immediately
the normal functions of possession (shoot, pass, cradle). Should any of
these conditions not be met, a ground ball may not be awarded. A player
cannot drop the ball of his own volition, pick it up again, and be credited
with a ground ball. Ground balls should be awarded as part of the faceoff
play; however, a ground ball is not always awarded when an official
signals possession on a faceoff play, since his definition of possession
does not rise to the standard of that of a ground ball.
Faceoff—The standard of faceoff statistics is to award the faceoff to the
faceoff specialist (when his team gains possession of the ball), regardless
of whether he actually gained possession himself. A faceoff should
be awarded to a team only when it gets a clear offensive or defensive
opportunity out of the play.
Note: As stated in Appendix II-h, ground balls should be awarded in
faceoff play.
A.R. 9. A1 faces off for his team. He obtains the ball in the faceoff situation but the
ball is immediately checked away. B1 picks up the ground ball and his team maintains
possession of the ball. STATISTICAL RULING: Credit faceoff to Team B.
A.R. 10. A1 controls the ball on the faceoff, retreats into the defensive half of the field,
closely guarded, and throws the ball away. STATISTICAL RULING: If Team B can
obtain possession of the ball and keep it, credit Team B with the faceoff. Similarly, if
Team A subsequently obtains possession of the ball and keeps it, credit Team A with the
faceoff.
It is interesting that the number of "face-offs won" recorded each year by the teams' official scorers is always significantly higher than the number of face-offs that take place.
Finally, to call a timeout you have to have possession and contact with the ground across the restraining line in the offensive end of the field (attack area or alleys). An illegally-requested timeout is a technical foul (loss of possession if called by the team in possession or if the ball is loose, 30-second time-serving foul if called by the defense).
Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:13 pm