Basketball is one of the most popular women's sports played at the college level. Women's college basketball features crisp plays, hard defense, good passing and memorable shooting. Here is a description of some of the more common fouls and violations called by referees in women's basketball.
Contact with the Ball Handler
NCAA women's officials emphasize calling personal fouls whenever there is contact between the ball handler and the defender. This includes when the defender initiates contact or the ball handler initiates contact. In women's college basketball, most plays start with the ball in the point guard's hands, and officials want to see smooth and free-flowing play. As a result, officials will call fouls whenever contact impedes the ball handler. If the ball handler initiates contact by leaning into the defender with her hip or forearm, the official will call her for a foul and award possession to the defensive team.
Ball-Handling Violations
Ball-handling violations are called by referees when players double-dribble, travel or go over-and-back with the ball. Double-dribble calls are made when players put both hands on the ball. Double-dribbling is infrequent, but it can happen when players change direction quickly and switch hands when dribbling. Traveling calls are made when players pick up their dribble and take an extra step before passing or shooting the ball. That call is made much more frequently in women's college basketball than in men's basketball because women's officials tend to emphasize the fundamentals. Players are whistled for an over-and-back violation when they cross mid-court with the ball and then go back into the defensive end of the court. Those violations all result in the defensive team getting possession.
Shooting Fouls
When a defender makes contact with a shooter, a foul is called regardless of whether the contact is a "hard foul" or incidental. If the player who is fouled makes the shot from the field, the shooter gets one free throw. If the player misses the shot from the field, the player will get two or three free throws, depending on whether the shot was attempted from beyond the three-point line. No part of the defensive player's body can make contact with the offensive player's body.
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