[hoopsrefBC]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett
As you progress up the ladder, keep these two thoughts in mind.

First - the purpose of a technical foul is to stop bad behavior. If you can stop the bad behavior without calling the T, you're just that much ahead. This comes from long-time ref Ed Hightower. I know that in your scenario, it was a fan, not a player or coach who was giving you trouble and the advice above to get game management to handle it was correct, but you will have similar problems with coaches and players.

Second - although there may be someone in the stands who knows more about the game of basketball than you (hey - John Wooden might be up there), there is no one in the gym who knows more how that particular game on that particular court on that particular night should be called than you and your partner. There's a big difference. Use your judgment and training to call the game as best you can and put up an invisible sound barrier behind both benches.

Mark,

Wasn't Mr. Wooden at the UCLA game and not in the stands?

keep smiling
SH