[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Nevadaref


Rut,
That's one of the best posts I've ever seen from you. It's well-written, conveys an intelligent message, and clearly makes its point.

However, what you just wrote seems to be quite different from the material that I disagree with, which appears in your earlier posts in this thread. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding. I figured that sportsmanship was pretty much a universal concept. Maybe the HS sports environment is vastly different there than it is in my area. You'll have to help clarify a couple of things for me about your area.

Nevada,

I am not writing this for your approval of how well written it is or if you like the points I am making. Save the comments like that for a book review or a review of an article.

We are basketball officials, not the CIA.

Originally posted by Nevadaref
1. You stated that you "will not be paying close attention to what they are doing in the team huddle" and that profanity in the huddle during a TO is "something I am not going to worry about." This is in direct conflict with the NFHS's directive in the POE for officials to "pay particular attention" to this.
Question A: Do you do this on your own as a personal choice or because those you assign you to games in your area don't want you to follow what the NFHS says on this?
Question B: Would you lose games for enforcing the NFHS POE on unsporting acts and calling the technical fouls?

This is not at all in direct conflict with what the NF says. I have also told you before that what the NF says is not the ultimate law either. The NF is not the only governing body that can share an opinion or tell the officials what to do. There is nothing that says we have to go "listening for comments" in the huddles of teams. If there is such a directive, where is that information? The NF only says is we can penalize players and coaches for things they say. Once again, this is not my priority. I am not going to call fouls when I do not see actions from players. I am not going to call Ts on players and coaches for language I do not hear. You have shown nothing that says the NF wants us to do this.

Originally posted by Nevadaref
2. Hypothetical: You are standing on the block during a TO and the team has moved its huddle well out onto the court near the FT lane line closest to the bench. In short, they are near the edge of the bench area defined by 1-13-3. They are certainly permitted to be out there by 5-12-5, so you can't direct them to move elsewhere, but their placement puts them quite near you.
Question A: Would you move away from your position on the block in order to maintain some distance from the team huddle, since you believe, "One of the reasons the NF puts us on the block is to stay away from the possibility of overhearing comments and possible confrontation with players and coaches."?

Now someone in this huddle uses profanity. Since there is no one else near the huddle, as they are out there in the middle of the floor by themselves, you are sure that it came from this team, but you don't know which specific individual said it.

I am not 100% sure if this is a nationwide thing, but they did not want us here to have team benches out all the way on the floor. They want the players and coaches to stay in a much more confined area. So I do not have these kinds of problems with benches coming to the FT area. If that did happen and there was no directive from my state, I would move. When I work 3 person mechanics (which is 95% of the time) and the officials that is going to put the ball in play does not even stand next to the table. Another real world issue is the cheerleaders. With all the flipping and acrobatic displays, usually we are further away than the blocks. If you stay on the block, someone is going to run into you or flip into you. Forgive me if my attention is not directly on the players especially when about 4 years ago a cheerleader almost flipped into me during a 20 second timeout (the rule had not changed).

Originally posted by Nevadaref
Question B: What action would you take? Ignore it, warn the coach, tell them to "knock off the language guys", or charge a technical foul.

I think I have already said what I would do if I could not pin it down a person for their language. Even if I heard someone say something, I like to have a word with them or their coach. Giving a T is not my first choice or in my opinion the best way to handle this situation. I personally do not care what others do, it works for me. This is also a common practice where I live. If I called every bad word in every situation like you suggest there would be no players and coaches around.

Originally posted by Nevadaref
Sharing your answers to the above will certainly help me to understand how you and/or your area handles this unsporting language issue and more importantly the rationale behind why that method is used. Thanks.

Nevada, I am going to suspect that you will not understand much of what I say because you have a position that is not in line with what I believe. You are one of those rulebook officials that feel that what the NF writes should have no philosophy or alternate application. I believe it was Ed Hightower that said and I am paraphrasing, "If you can change an action without calling a Technical foul that is a good thing." Now I know officials much greater than anyone here that feels pretty much the same way I do (actually the other way around) and no one is questioning their competence. I work college ball and they have the same rules and no one enforces these rules without pause or consideration for other philosophies.

Peace