[Adam]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

I think you handled the situation well. The one thing I would add is that you should contact the administration at the school these gentlemen were from. I had a similar situation once during a MS "B" team game (in Michigan).

It was a fairly tight game and I called a foul on a visiting team player (push or a block), which is her fourth personal foul. This was not a bonus situation, so I get ready to bounce the ball to the inbounder when I hear a male fan (parent of the girl who committed the foul) yell at me then yell "Next time foul her hard". Unfortunately a few seconds later the same young lady is the only defender back on defense during a fast break. She immediately extends the arms and gives the offensive player a two hand shove to the ground as she attempts a lay-up. I mentally debated for a second do I call this an intentional or flagrant foul (only time I've come close to calling a flagrant in close to 15 years of officiating).

Knowing this is the young ladies 5th personal, and thus a disqualifying foul I only call it intentional. I report the foul and here the same parent cheering about how tough his daughter was. Luckily the girl who was fouled was not injured on the play.

After the game the same idiot followed myself and my parenter (a young lady that was 5-0 and maybe 100 lbs.) out to our cars, yelling at us the entire time. My next stopped was to officiate a high school swim meet at the districts high school, so I talked with the AD of the host school then. He suggested I contacted the visiting AD, which I did. The parent was suspended from attending any athletic event in the district for the rest of the school year.

The host school had video in the gym, and they helped the visiting school identify who the idiot was.

My take on why I called it the way I did. First, this parent obviously had serious issues, and his daughter has to go home to that. I called it intentional in part because of her. If I had tossed her from the game I didn't know what the parent might due to her if he was this unstable at the game. The penalty would be the same, 2 shots and possession. The player would still be done for the game (5th personal vs flagrant ejection). The only difference was that she would not be subject to a 1 game suspension for being ejected.

My advice, and take it FWIW, never alter the way you call a game based on unknown factors off the court. That's over thinking it, big time.