Personal Foul

Uncover the true story behind the Netflix documentary Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul. “The book the NBA doesn’t want you to read.” —Deadspin.com Tim Donaghy loved basketball. In many ways, his zest for the game came from his father, who officiated high school and college games for over 30 years. After graduating from Villanova, Donaghy was unsatisfied with his career until he followed his heart and became a basketball referee, first in the CBA and then the NBA, where he officiated for 13 seasons: 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. He loved his job, his family, his life. He felt like he had everything. And then, suddenly, he had nothing. He succumbed to a gambling addiction and to intimidation from well-connected criminals—and began using inside information to win bets for them. Following an FBI investigation, Donaghy pled guilty to two federal charges, and on August 15, 2007, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He was released on November 4, 2009, after serving his sentence. This is his story, which provides a stunningly candid admission of his mistakes, as well as his insider’s account of the world of professional basketball. With a foreword by Phil Scala, the FBI special agent who worked the Gambino case, Personal Foul reveals how the fast life of professional sports can tempt and trap the unwary and unwise. Donaghy has written an unforgettable page-turner, one of the most controversial sports books ever published. It will confirm your suspicions about the influence of the front offices of major league sports, while examining the corrosive power of money and fame. From the Introduction: I’m guilty. For 13 years I was a referee in the National Basketball Association, living a glamorous life on and off the court, rubbing elbows with superstar players and celebrity A-listers. I suppose many would say that I had it all—a great job, money, a wonderful family—but it was all an illusion. You see, during my last four years in the NBA, I led a secret life that would ultimately cost me everything: my integrity, my reputation, my career, my livelihood, my marriage, my family, and my freedom.

“Lieberman reveals a storied football program rife with ethical problems in the hiring of its coaches and the treatment of some of the players themselves.” —Library Journal It was bad enough when popular offensive line coach Joe Moore sued the University of Notre Dame for age discrimination—but matters got much worse when the lawsuit uncovered disquieting evidence of unethical and inappropriate conduct in a football program widely regarded as a model of probity. This is the dramatic story of that explosive lawsuit, which tarnished Notre Dame’s burnished football image. This riveting account begins in November 1996, when Bob Davie is hired as head coach to replace the beloved Lou Holtz. In one of his first, and most fateful, executive decisions, Davie fires sixty-four-year-old Joe Moore because—as Davie puts it—he needs someone younger for the job. Attorney Rick Lieberman takes on Joe Moore’s case and in this absorbing book he describes the trial and the enormous tensions to which litigants like Joe Moore are subject. This is a David and Goliath story in which the Notre Dame attorneys attempt to destroy Joe Moore’s reputation as both a coach and a man. In the process, Davie’s own background comes under close scrutiny as a reporter’s investigation reveals some damning evidence. And as the trial proceeds, Notre Dame’s football program is shown to be rife with legal improprieties and inappropriate behavior involving both coaches and administrators. Anyone interested in sports, in the law, in stories of blatant injustice—and in Notre Dame—will find Personal Foul a fascinating, revealing and memorable read. “A testament to the seedy side of big-money college sports.” —Booklist

NIRSA supports leaders in collegiate recreation, with a membership serving over eight million students. The 20th edition of this classic guidebook from NIRSA provides the latest rule changes in flag and touch football. The 2021 & 2022 NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book & Officials’ Manual highlights all the rules that have changed since the previous edition, making it easy to locate what is new or changed. Updated information for officials includes rules for Unified flag football and updated field diagrams that show a 30-yard line. The pocket size of the guide makes it easy to consult at games, whether you’re a coach, instructor, official, player, or fan of flag and touch football. The manual also offers summaries of fouls and penalties, youth football rules, and 4 on 4 football rules, and it presents the 10 commandments for clinicians and observers. It contains detailed explanations of the following rules: Rule 1. The Game, Field, Players, and Equipment Rule 2. Definitions of Playing Terms Rule 3. Periods, Time Factors, and Substitutions Rule 4. Ball in Play, Dead Ball, and Out of Bounds Rule 5. Series of Downs, Number of Downs, and Team Possession After Penalty Rule 6. Kicking the Ball Rule 7. Snapping, Handing, and Passing the Ball Rule 8. Scoring Plays and Touchback Rule 9. Conduct of Players and Others Rule 10. Enforcement of Penalties The officials’ portion is then presented in seven sections: Part I. Officiating Basics Part II. Game Administration Part III. Officiating Responsibilities Part IV. Communication Part V. 3-Person Mechanics Part VI. 4-Person Mechanics Part VII. NIRSA Official Flag Football Signals This easy-to-read rule book and officials’ manual reflects NIRSA’s continuing commitment to the development of flag and touch football and the organization’s efforts to keep training and officials’ manuals current and relevant. As such, this pocket guide is an essential resource for officials, coaches, and players connected to flag and touch football in various settings, from youth levels through collegiate levels.

Bestselling sportswriter John Feinstein exposes the big money and back-room deals that pervade college-basketball recruiting in this fast-break young adult novel. Terrell Jamerson is the #1 high school basketball player in the country. His team is poised to win State, top colleges are lining up to give him scholarships, and everyone says he could play in the NBA tomorrow. But it only takes one false step to lose everything. Danny Wilcox is Terrell’s best friend and teammate, and a top prospect himself, but these days it seems like everyone wants to get close to Terrell: the sneaker guys, the money managers, the college boosters. They show up offering fast cars, hot girls, and cold, hard cash. They say they just want to help, but their kind of help could get Terrell disqualified. Danny and Terrell better keep their eyes on the ball if they hope to last the season. John Feinstein has been praised as “the best writer of sports books in America today” (The Boston Globe), and he proves it again in this fast-paced novel. “Thorough and suspenseful; a must-read for those interested in basketball and the dealings surrounding the sport.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

per-son-al foul noun: a rule violation involving illegal contact. Violated. That's how Trent makes me feel. But I can't leave him. I owe him too much. Illegal contact. That's what it is the first time Cole touches me. Except, it doesn't feel wrong. I shouldn't break the rules--and yet, I'm afraid that if I don't, the personal foul will be called against me. My future. My heart. My life is at stake. I can't betray myself. I won't. *Recommended for readers 18] - Sexual Content, Sexual Abuse, and Language.

James Naismith was teaching physical education at the Young Men's Christian Association Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and felt discouraged because calisthenics and gymnastics didn't engage his students. What was needed was an indoor wintertime game that combined recreation and competition. One evening he worked out the fundamentals of a game that would quickly catch on. Two peach half-bushel baskets gave the name to the brand new sport in late 1891. Basketball: Its Origin and Development was written by the inventor himself, who was inspired purely by the joy of play. Naismith, born in northern Ontario in 1861, gave up the ministry to preach clean living through sport. He describes Duck on the Rock, a game from his Canadian childhood, the creative reasoning behind his basket game, the eventual refinement of rules and development of equipment, the spread of amateur and professional teams throughout the world, and the growth of women's basketball (at first banned to male spectators because the players wore bloomers). Naismith lived long enough to see basketball included in the Olympics in 1936. Three years later he died, after nearly forty years as head of the physical education department at the University of Kansas. This book, originally published in 1941, carries a new introduction by William J. Baker, a professor of history at the University of Maine, Orono. He is the author of Jesse Owens: An American Life and Sports in the Western World.

Sydney Carr knows better than to mix business with pleasure. She's had a long, hard road to get to where she is now. She landed her dream job, and she's not about to risk it all for the newest basketball recruit.The stakes are high for Colson Rush. When he's traded to the Miami Blaze, his focus is on one thing-winning. But when he helps a fiery redhead fight off a mugger, he can't deny the sparks between them. Although she tries, neither can she.Too bad she's his new coach's daughter.Giving into the temptation is one personal foul neither of them can back down from.Personal Foul was previously featured in the Playing to Win Anthology and is now expanded to a full-length novel.