Quote:
|
Originally Posted by rainmaker
In all seriousness, what if you say you judge it to be unsporting? I agree that this situation is unlikely to ever happen. And the person being guarded is the best one to deal with it by simply pivoting everytime the guarding person gets in the face. It will soon become apparent what's going on and who's being a jerk, and how silly that is. But if that person does continue even when it's ridiculous (which is sounds to me like what the Rev is saying), wouldn't that border on unsportsmanlike? Isn't that sort of harrassment unsportsmanlike? And isn't that a judgment rather than just a personal opinion?
|
Most, but certainly not all, unsporting technical fouls are judgmental in nature. Some (like swearing at an official, kicking the ball in the stands, pushing an opponent when the play is over, etc.) are no-brainers. They're automatic T's. Other unsporting technical fouls depend on the individual official's tolerance towards certain acts. This thread is probably a heckuva good example of that. The good Reverend obviously has a lower tolerance towards the defender's actions than a lot of other posters, including myself. As I said before, we probably should never let a personal bias enter any call that we make. That's just day-dreaming on my part though, to be quite honest. Everybody sets their own standards as to what comprises unsporting behavior. Those standards vary tremendously. Who's right and who's wrong? Probably no one imo if we all end up getting to the same goal....giving the coaches and players a
fair game. And if we are consistent in our judgments at both ends, coaches and players will know what they can or can't do. That's always fair, whether the game is being called strictly or loosely.
Re: this situation, I can only tell you what my own personal opinion is. I think that you should just watch the play and see what develops. If the defender gets some bumps in or yaps a little, call it. Let them know that you're keeping an eye on them. If the defender's main goal is ball denial, then I'm not going to put the defender at an unfair advantage either. If I can't think up a rule to apply, then I ain't gonna make up a new one. The defender deserves to be treated
exactly the same as his opponent.
Jmo, but I think that this a time to be reactive, not proactive.