Caitlin Clark Technical Foul ...

[BillyMac]

https://x.com/i/status/1825272545471266902

After missing a shot on the other end of the court in the third quarter, the ball went out of play with Clark defending. Clark wasn't happy with herself and slapped the stanchion in frustration. The referee watching Clark didn't let this slide and gave her a technical foul for the emotional outburst.

I'm not a Caitlin Clark apologist, but I'm not a big fan of this call.

In my high school games, if I'm certain that a player is frustrated with their own mistake and is not frustrated with me, or my partner, I will pass on a technical foul, maybe just give an oral warning.

But of course, this is the WNBA, not a high school game.

[JRutledge]

So if she threw the ball, would that be OK?

Peace

[FlasherZ]

IMO, borderline but acceptable because it involved the equipment for the playing court / game. I wouldn't support a tech if it was slapping the padding of a chair on the bench after she was pulled out, or if it was just raw emotion expressed at herself without physical moves on the equipment.

[Raymond]

There is a rule in the NBA and WNBA about striking equipment.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Raymond

There is a rule in the NBA and WNBA about striking equipment.

Smaller staff and they have mandates about things we never discuss. So doing that is not something they have to look up in a rulebook. They have been told this is what you do when that happens.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

So if she threw the ball, would that be OK

In my high school game, if she slammed the ball down and immediately caught it on the way up, I might consider just an oral warning, but if she actually threw the ball into the crowd, that would be a technical foul in my high school game.

Again, I have to be certain that a player is frustrated with their own mistake and is not frustrated with me, or my partner.

Since we don't read minds, that may not be easy to accomplish, and I would have to rely on my forty-plus years of experience, and possibly still some up with the wrong conclusion for the action of the player.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

But of course, this is the WNBA, not a high school game.

Originally Posted by Raymond

There is a rule in the NBA and WNBA about striking equipment.

Thanks Raymond, good explanation.

I can't fault, or criticize, the WNBA official in the video.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

In my high school game, if she slammed the ball down and immediately caught it on the way up, I might consider just an oral warning ...

Now, in my high school game, if she slammed the ball down and didn't catch it on the way up, allowing it to go several feet into the air, that's another "had to be there" story, and I'm probably leaning toward charging a technical foul.

This is why basketball officials get paid the big bucks, to make such decisions in the heat of the moment in a very fast paced game.

As usual, check you local listings, and of course, "When in Rome ...".

[justacoach]

I will get an informed answer...

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by justacoach

I will get an informed answer...

Sunday, August 18, 2024 Seattle at Indiana

[BillyMac]

Early in Friday's Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces contest, (Caitlin Clark) got called for a standard foul, and then she whacked another stanchion.

https://x.com/i/status/1834739498841694587

Now this one is different.

Earlier situation, no foul called: After missing a shot on the other end of the court in the third quarter, the ball went out of play with Clark defending. Clark wasn't happy with herself and slapped the stanchion in frustration.

This time she physically assaulted the stanchion after being charged with a foul, leaving the official to decide is she was upset at the official for calling the foul, or frustrated at herself for fouling?

I think that the foul was pretty obvious, leaving me to believe that she was frustrated at herself for fouling.

Nevertheless, is the first situation she was 100% "disrespecting" the stanchion, while in this most recent situation there was a possibility, slight, but still a possibility, that she may have been disrespecting the official.

In my high school game, if I called the technical foul, or if I didn't call the technical foul, I would still have a short conversation with the player about me having to "read minds" about a player's intention. I'm not a "mind reader".

But this isn't a high school game, this is the WNBA where it appears that they have a zero tolerance policy on "stanchion abuse".

[Raymond]

If she got a technical foul in the first situation for being mad at herself, why would you even have a discussion about the second situation where she obviously didn't like the call by the official?

I'm confused by the confusion.

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Raymond

If she got a technical foul in the first situation for being mad at herself, why would you even have a discussion about the second situation where she obviously didn't like the call by the official?

I'm not fully convinced that she was upset with the official because the foul call was an obvious call and easy for the official to charge.

I believe that she was upset with herself for fouling in that situation, her second foul and only mid way through the first period.

Note: In high school I was not known for my ball handling, my passing, or outside shooting ability. My "super power" (at only six feet) was in the trenches under the basket, defense (I never met a shot I didn't try to block), offensive rebounding, put backs, and defensive rebounding, and I treated basketball as a "full contact sport". A second foul in the first period usually got me a seat on the bench, at least until the second period, and that second foul, warranted, or not, always pissed me off, sometimes at myself, and sometimes at the official.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

This time she physically assaulted the stanchion after being charged with a foul, leaving the official to decide is she was upset at the official for calling the foul, or frustrated at herself for fouling? I think that the foul was pretty obvious, leaving me to believe that she was frustrated at herself for fouling.

However, showing such strong emotion after such a foul is called against you (for whatever and any reason) is never a "good look" and may always draw the attention of the official and tingling their "spidey sense".

Originally Posted by BillyMac

... this is the WNBA where it appears that they have a zero tolerance policy on "stanchion abuse".

[bob jenkins]

More of us need to call more Ts in similar situations. (I recognize that being one of the few who do call it will get you an earful from a coach.)