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Originally Posted by SMEngmann
I don't really like the idea of long checklists explaining when to give a T and when not to give a T. A lot of this comes with judgement and experience, but I know when I was coming up, these types of things were confusing.
I think the reason I don't like these lists is because I don't agree with the philosophy that officials should try to prevent technical fouls and try to avoid calling them (usually through warnings and the like). We are not out there to be a nice guy, we are there to run a game, and the nicer we are, often, the more liberties that are taken.
Additionally, officials are different people with different personalities and different attributes, but we all have to maintain control of a game. Our personalities, people skills, physical appearance, age, etc all play into what we have to do to run a game, and what works for one guy might not work for another. I think these checklists play into a one size fits all mentality that doesn't really work.
In my opinion, if you want to help your officials out, instill a general philosophy on when to call technical fouls, similar to what the NBA has done this year, which outlines clearly what conduct warrants a T, and what is acceptable conduct.
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I do not like these lists for some of the very same reasons you stated. I think we are all very different. I know as an official I am very different than when I first started. I used to have these hard and fast rules, now I do not anymore because I want to adapt to the situation I am faced with.
You also stated that officials should not prevent Ts. I feel we should and do whatever we can to warn and let it be known what might cross the line, when given a chance. But that shows how different our experience and who we might be around can affect those basic philosophies.
The bottom line is we are not robots. Personality is always going to play a role in our officiating. It certainly is that way in the NBA.
Peace