[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

JP's post is a very good learing situation.

1) The game was close. Had the officials covered end game scenarios in their pregame? Were the officials communicating among themselves during the closing minutes of the game? Were the officials communicating with the scorer?

2) Good communication among the officials and with the scorer during the final minutes of a close game allows the officials to get off of the court quickly at the end of the game, thereby limiting the officials exposure to idiotic conduct by coaches, players, and fans.

3) It appears from the original posting that this was not a school sponsored game, i.e., officials changing shoes at the scorer's table after the game. These types of games makes it difficult for the officials after a close game sometimes. Many times there are no further penalties for a player or coach who gets disqualified from a game for a flagrant foul.

4) Yes, a technical foul (even a flagrant technical foul) can be called, as in ther posted scenario. But I think that an official has to pick the battles he can win. If this StateHSAA sanctioned event, where a player or coach can be suspended from further competition for committing a flagrant foul, then by all means take care of business. If it one of theses competitions, that are sponsored by some organization who is trying to raise money for one thing or another, the officials should just grab their stuff and get the heck out of there.

5) If this is a StateHSAA sanctioned event and the officials do have to take care of business. The official should just assess the technical (tell the player and coach that a technical foul has been assessed and whether there is a disqualification or not) and then make sure the foul goes into the book (the official can have the scorer bring the book into the officials' dressing room to assure that the foul was assessed and put into the book; the officials do not want to hang around the table explaining what is happening to the scorer in that environment). If the free throws will not effect the outcome of the game, then the officials should get the heck out of there.

Addressing the partner, who changed his shoes while the free throws are being shot, is difficult. I think that if my partner had assessed a technical foul under circumstances in the original post and this was just a spring tournament where there are no post-game sanctions involved, I believe that I would have been dragging my partner off of the court. I know that I have a partner that would have been dragging me off the court if I were in the same situation.