At a youth travel league game on Sunday...played with rules modifications that forbid zones...one of the coaches was yapping in my ear that the other team was playing a zone. I called the coaches together and reminded them of the rule and told them it was our decision what constitued a zone.
(From the league rules:The officials at the game site have the final responsibility for interpreting the violation. If there is no advantage being gained then the official in all likelihood may not call the violation. If any coach has an issue with the rule it is to be addressed with their league coordinator - NOT the referee.)
Barely two minutes later, the complaining coach stood and screamed, "That's a zone. You have to call that a zone." The only thing I called was a technical foul. Now...my partner was trail on the table side and he ignored the coach that was just over his shoulder. I called the T from the far lead -- while his team had the ball.
The game ended just fine. No warning, no stop sign, no threats. Someone here recently said a good test of a T is what does it do to the rest of the game. This one shut up the yapper and got him to focus on coaching from his seat. It made the game a lot better. I can only imagine what this guy would have been like if I had "warned" him. Unsporting behavior is obvious to most of us. I am still amazed at how many of us find excuses for not dealing with it.