From my understanding;
1. Score must be made immediately (ie FG, not FT)
2. The next action the shooter does once the pass is received is shoot or layup.

A rule unto their own, they have guidelines but sometimes you have the question the validity of it all. Even Boti had a shot at them in the paper today.

Once the ball is passed the reciever has 2 step (dribbles) to put the shot up i think

Entirely interpretation i beleieve.

When Heal was playing at Geelong he was averaging something like 15 assists when he was on teh road it was about 2/3 from memory.

Is it the NBA or NBL where if you make at least 1 FT then the assist stands?

i am not aware of the nbl 'guidelines' but using the NBA guidelines which are quite specific and regarded as the most stringent

example 1
assist - If Julius passed to the voice call which imediately resulted in a score then an assist even if he did not look at who called for the ball

example 2
no assist - if Adam did anything to beat his man, head fake, rocker step, then no assist as Adam beat his man on his own accord

example 3
assist - if Luke passed to Aaron who had no one to beat then the score resulted from the pass, even if Aaron uses the full 24 seconds. If Aaron had to change direction in any way as a result of a defender or defensive action, no assist.

example 4
assist - however if Brett missed both foul shots, or had to throw any sort of fake to draw the foul, even an eyebrow fake, then no assist.


Interestingly
if Luke blocks a shot to streaking Aaron who is not defended etc etc then
block, steal, assist to Luke.

actually good point Kent,
NBA may require both foul shots to go down,
whilst FIBA is one.
that would be good to know actually if anyone can clarify.

"Interestingly
if Luke blocks a shot to streaking Aaron who is not defended etc etc then
block, steal, assist to Luke. "

That is incorrect it would just be a block to luke

the dodgy as stat takers have been annoying me for a couple of weeks actually. Julius got 2 blocks against Melbourne and neither were credited.

The first against Barlow in the opening minutes of the game was even photographed and posted after the game on this web site. It was a palm up block, such a great photo, you could see Julius's fingernails millimeters from the ball which was on Barlows fingertips.

I also have to question Schensh not getting any blocks last night, the fox highlights video shows him getting Ellis and i reckon he got another 2 after that.

To say that he had none is incorrect.

Neither FIBA nor the NBA allow an assist on a free throw...its only Australia

BTW, the Adelaide Stats crew handed out 24 assists on 41 field goals in the game last night....that looks credible....the stats guys in Australia preach that normally....(repeat normally not always) there should be 4 or 5 assists credited for every ten FGM's.

What I found more interesting was that apparently Schenscher had 0 blocks. That just doesn't seem right. I could have sworn he blocked at least a few shots, not to mention altering the vast majority of those that were attempted in the paint.

It says 2 in the box scores in the Advertiser.

It was such a messy game at times last night that Luke did do a few blocks, but they weren't recorded as such

If he has been credited with 2 blocks then....what do you know NBL.com.au has an error on it.

both versions of the box score on nbl.com, the html from cybersports and the livestats box show schenscher with zero blocks.

Advertiser say Schensch with 2, Hill, Holmes, Maher, Ballinger and Hodge all with 1 each.
Total = 7.

To blocks fo Schensch sounds right.

Lookin at how few assists are recorded in the NBL compared tothe NBA, there certainly mut be big diferences in either the ruling or the statisticians.
It's probaly not a good thing when you think about the NBA scouts looking at Hodge and Ingles' numbers - Hodge would be averaging about 24/10/10 and Ingles about 14/4/7 if they were playing under NBA ruling/stats men - far more impressive numbers.

Those scouts aren't idiots. They'd consider that or be watching tape or live games (when it came to the crunch).

A lot of the NBL coaches take their own stats perhaps Boti gets both the NBL stats and the coaches stats, although i am not sure if coach Scott always gets his own set done. Coaches stats also include deflections and also things specific to the team.

Maybe the advertiser printed the coaches stats by mistake? Certainly the NBA scouts would be referring to a particular coach rather than a web address.

I have been involved in basketball stats for about 25 years and can tell you that there will always be inconsistencies in stats because it comes down to how the stats are defined, how the stats person interprets them, how well they can see them from the angles they have on the bench, whether the uniform numbers are clear, whether there are mistakes made on the night (yes - it does happen - we are all human), etc., etc.

The fact of the matter is that stats personnel are all volunteers doing the best job they can with the tools they have at their disposal. It's easy for those who don't really know what they are talking about (as evidenced by some of the comments on the subjects above) to critisise stats perosnnel, but if you really care enough about stats and want to understand them better, then I suggest you get involved or at least attend a stats training course (there is one being held in Feb 2009).

Until then, get out there and support your team and get off the back of the volunteers who give their time so you can continue to enjoy the game of basketball. I don't have time to clarify all the issues above, but I would be more than happy to answer questions at the training course - see you there!!!!

It's a priviledge to hear from someone like you William 87. 25 years in this industry is a milestone, to have done it in a voluntary capacity is exceptional & has you topping the honour roll.
KUDOs mate.

XztatiK

The NBA and NBL have completely different definitions on assists. Likewise the college definition is different.

If Stockton played his whole career in the NBL you could cut his assists by one third. If he had played his whole career in college you would probably cut them by half.

FIBA's stats and NBL's stats are very close.....the same person wrote their definitions.

William is right....and one of the biggest challenges is doing stats if you have to sit behind Goorj....he always tries to obscure your view.

I wish I could find my source to quote, but in the NBA if you pass to a player who "makes an immediate reaction to the basket" and scores, it's an assist. IIRR it was an answer posted to a question about whether taking a dribble stopped a player getting an assist -you can still get an assist if the player takes a dribble, but only if it is part of the "immediate reaction".

I've also seen an explanation of a player in the NBA getting a defensive rebound and throwing a pass 10 feet to a quick guard, who happened to have a clear path to the basket, and who took off up-court and made an uncontested lay-up. The rebounder got credited with an assist - again, it was an "immediate reaction" to the basket, even though the play started in the player's own half.

mantis....I've done all the stats training, although a long time ago. The NBA rule is "continuation" which explains my previous comment about Stockton.

He used to pass to malone, and provided from the time malone recieved the ball and backed down the defender etc etc and then scored...then stockton got an assist - because of the continuation by malone.

Stupid - the pass in no way creates the score in that situation.