[utahkarakita]

Every year I tell myself I'm done doing youth city league games. Every year I end up doing them again. The truth is, I can't resist any chance pick up the whistle - and my wife likes the money.

At any rate, the other day I whacked a kid for slamming the ball down on the floor and watching it bounce 20 feet in the air. As per the usual city league rules, the young man could not sub back in until 20 minutes of game time had passed.

I was told later that the kid was mad at his own teammate for running into him and causing a turnover. That did not change my mind about the call, but it did get me thinking...

In a high school game, a technical is two free throws, possession, and a personal/team foul. In a city league game, it's all that plus a 20-minute "ejection."

Does the fact that the penalty is much more harsh (especially if it's one of their best players) mean it should be viewed differently and called differently?

My own conclusion is: Yes. In the interest of game management, there are some conceivable situations where something that would get a good whacking in a HS game, might not get the same in a city game.

I have a pretty good idea what some of the counter-arguments to this will be. But, I've always been one that tends feels common sense has to take precedence over the rulebook sometimes.

I will now return to my world of insanity, where I debate the intricacies of youth city league game management for fun.