What is a foul?

A foul is illegal contact with an opponent. Not all contact is a foul: players will bump into each other. Call it when the contact gives a player an unfair advantage or puts them at a disadvantage. The common ones in Year 3 are:

• Holding: grabbing an opponent's arm or body. Signal: grab your own wrist and pull it down.
• Pushing: pushing an opponent with hands or body. Signal: push forward with both open hands.
• Hacking (illegal use of hands): hitting an opponent's arm, usually while they shoot or dribble. Signal: chop one wrist with the other hand.
• Blocking: a defender moving into the path of a player who's already moving, instead of setting their position first. Signal: both hands on your hips.
• Charging: an attacker running into a defender who had already set their position. Signal: punch a closed fist into your open palm.

To call a foul, blow the whistle and raise one arm with a clenched fist (this stops the clock). Point at the player who fouled, then report the foul to the scorer's table.