White 69 is dribbling the ball in his back court when one of the referees calls a personal foul to Red 44 for his illegal defence on the dribbler. At approximately the same time another referee calls an unsportsmanlike foul to White 17 off the ball on Red 1. The referees decide to check the IRS to review this unsportsmanlike foul and, after the review, it is downgraded to personal foul. They award the ball to the White team for a throw-in from their back court and 20 seconds on the shot clock.

According to the IRS rule, the following game situation may be reviewed:

F.3.3 During any time of the game,

whether a personal, unsportsmanlike or disqualifying foul met the criteria for such a foul or shall be upgraded or downgraded or shall be considered as a technical foul.

Article 35.1.1 A double foul is a situation in which 2 opponents commit personal or unsportsmanlike/disqualifying fouls on each other at approximately the same time.

Article 42.1 In the same stopped-clock period which follows an infraction, special situations may arise when additional infraction(s) are committed.

Article 42.2.3 All equal penalties on the teams and all double foul penalties shall be cancelled in the order in which they were called. Once the penalties have been entered on the scoresheet and cancelled they are considered as never having occurred.

Article 42.2.8 If, after the cancellation of equal penalties on both teams, there are no other penalties remaining for administration, the game shall be resumed as follows.

If at approximately the same time as the first infraction:

A team had control of the ball or was entitled to the ball, the ball shall be awarded to this team for a throw-in from the place nearest to the first infraction.

Article 50.2 The shot clock operator shall be provided with a shot clock which shall be stopped, but not reset, with the remaining time visible, when the same team that previously had control of the ball is awarded a throw-in as the result of:

A cancellation of equal penalties on both teams.

Outcome: Correct decision from the referees.
1. The referees were right to use the IRS.
2. White 17 foul didn’t meet any of the 5 criteria to be considered as unsportsmanlike foul so it was correctly downgraded.
3. This is not a double foul as both fouls were not committed by 2 opponents on each other.
4. This is a special situation. Both penalties were the same (throw-in for each team) so they cancel each other.
5. The ball was awarded for a throw-in from the place nearest to the first infraction to the team that had the control of the ball when the first infraction was called, the White team, with the seconds remaining in the shot clock.