[jdmara]

First of all, I want to thanks all of you who post on this site. I get time about every month to check out all the posts and I never regret all the time I spend reading the threads. I am always learning tons of new information. I wish I had more time to view the threads.

Well here are a couple situations I’ve come across in the past few weeks and can’t seem to cite in the rule and/or case books. NFHS rules apply! Additionally, the scorer’s table is at the baseline (which is odd but there isn’t enough room to safely put it in the middle of the court.) It’ll come into play in the first situation.

Situation 1:
I had a false double technical foul the other night. Both teams were playing pretty physical down in the post area but it had been clean all game. A few fouls had been called but nothing out of the ordinary.

In the 2nd half, Team A had the ball on the opposite-side wing (I was L). A1 posted B1 up on the block. B1 had gotten the best of the matchup all night as he was more athletic and seemed to be a lot more comfortable in the post, both offensively and defensively. The ball is passed from the wing to the top of the key just as I see A1 throw an elbow into the body of B1 out of frustration. TWEET!

My first reaction was to give Player A a flagrant foul but I didn't think it was malicious (intent to injury). I felt it was necessary to call an unsportsmanlike technical foul, however, because there was the use of unnecessary force. I didn’t have to move since the scorer’s table was on that end of the court. I report the foul with the two still in front of me. A1 then says something incoherent to me and B1 gives a little push to A1. TWEET! I honored B1 with a little attention as well, an unsportsmanlike technical.

Is the correct ruling to have each team shoot 2 free throws (Team B followed by Team A) then follow it with an alternating possession arrow? Or should Team A get possession as Team B offended last?


Situation 2:

Earlier in the week I was working with an inexperienced official. We had been calling a pretty good game. I was giving him pointers here and there about positioning and situations I have encountered in my 5 years.

In the second half, A1 get the in the lane and lobs a shot up over B1. Realizing that his shot is going to hit nothing but air, A1 slips around B1 and catches the errant shot. Of course, everyone in gym starts yelling “Travel!!!!”, including Team B. B1 then blocks A1’s put back out of bounds on the baseline. I then turn to wave in the subs as I hear my P tell Team B that it’s not a travel. “It’s a new rule that a player can catch their own shot.”

I talked with him after the game and told him it’s not necessary to explain rules, especially things you’re uncertain of. To my knowledge, that rule has always been around in the past decade but I could be wrong. I’ve only been officiating since 2001.

Can anyone help me cite there situations? Thanks!

-Josh