Palming the ball

[Rick Mons]

I know that last season calls on "palming" or "carrying" the ball were s'posed to be emphasized. I have to admit it seemed that way in pre-conference play last year but not during conference play and seems only intermittently called now. I also understand that refs apparently only call it when they judge it to have created an "advantage." I thought that translated to a scoring advantage but have seen it called (sometimes) when there's no true scoring advantage.

So does anyone know what the situation currently is? Here's an article from May 2008 but I haven't found anything of more recent vintage: link

 

[maliksealy]

Rick, I have a son that plays ball in D2, and he palms the ball a lot. I take certain offense to the fact you would go out and make the point for this offense to be called more in the game.

 

[Rick Mons]

wow, you're a real piece of work, Malik. It takes a unique ass to try to link my post above to your past use of the slur "retarded."

You can go back to whining about my ignoring your predictions ... you've just reinforced the decision.

 

[Donovan]

I agree, I really don't like the constant palming now days. I don't blame the players, they are always going to push it as far as they can. When did this overt palming really start? I don't remember it in the mid 80's.

 

[maliksealy]

It takes a arrogant prick to refuse an apology. It reinforces my decision to retract it.

 

[Rick Mons]

I agree, I really don't like the constant palming now days. I don't blame the players, they are always going to push it as far as they can. When did this overt palming really start? I don't remember it in the mid 80's.

I'm thinking it's happening as a result of more B'ball being played at a younger level and a lack of conscientious enforcement at that level. It seems more pronounced with kids who play on AAU and travelling teams who, when they get to the high school level, look shocked when it gets called in a game.

It's now almost the "usual" way of setting up a dribble penetration with one of the two guards kind of lazily moving back and forth and palming/carrying the ball while scoping out the other team's sets. Then when the guard(s) decide to penetrate, they seem to think they'll outwit the defense by posing/looking lackadasikal and casual. When I see it called, it's usually as a result of the dribbling hand being lazy and under or on the side of the ball while starting an aggressive penetration and only then followed by an aggressive up and down dribble.