The NBA’s new enforcement of no foul calls on non-basketball moves has been almost universally loved this season. A few shooters and scorers feel the pendulum has swung too far and now actual fouls are not getting called, but getting the “jump four-feet forward into the defender” fouls out of the game has been great for the game.
Next, the NBA needs to get rid of the “Euro foul” or “take foul” — when a defender intentionally fouls a ballhandler in the backcourt to prevent a fast break. There’s been a noticeable increase in these fouls this season, and it was growing a few seasons before as well.
They’ve got to get rid of these take fouls that stop fast breaks pic.twitter.com/7t4FP8ejZF
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) October 29, 2021
The NBA has noticed and is looking into changing the rule, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: The NBA Competition Committee today discussed the uptick in transition “take” fouls this season and encouraged the league office to develop a rule change that would eliminate incentive to utilize the tactic in future.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 2, 2021
Good. This needs to happen. Fast breaks are the most exciting play in the game and these fouls destroy the flow of the game. Let basketball players play basketball.
The fouls have increased because teams score far more efficiently in transition than set up in the halfcourt, leading smart teams and players to use these fouls to take away that advantage.
It’s nicknamed the “Euro foul” because it was so common in international play leagues put in a new rule that awarded two foul shots plus the ball out of bounds.
This should be easy for the NBA, the G-League already has this rule in place — with one free throw and the ball out of bounds — and has the wording to define exactly what is a take foul (“A foul in which the defender does not make a play on the ball against a player with the ball or who just released a pass… [and] a foul that takes away a transition opportunity”).
While we would all like to see this be put in place sooner rather than later, by the time the rule is approved and the referees trained, it more than likely will be next season before this foul is part of the rule book.
Still, better late than never. Anything that helps the flow of the game and allows the players to be athletes.