Is there an approved mechanic for signaling a flagrant personal foul? I had this situation come up last weekend in a boys h.s. rec league game I was working. I am trail in 2-whistle, and A1 is dribbling at the top of the key. He makes a move to drive to the paint, and B1 steps over from the elbow, takes two hands and shoves A1 violently to the floor.

Here's what I did. I blew the whistle and went up with the closed fist, then brought the intentional signal. I had decided that the contact fit the definition of flagrant (i.e. violent enough to potentially cause injury or instigate a fight), so I decided that B1 was done. I simply told B1 that he was disqualified, and told his coach the same.

My question: is there an NFHS mechanic for this, other that the "shotgun?" And is the "shotgun" even an approved mechanic?

BTW, B1 and coach were not happy about it, as they only had five players, and they had to finish the game with four.

Sounds like a good call. As for the mechanic, what you did is about as close to the official mechanic as there is. Signals are normal, it's the reporting that's different. The one I had a coule weeks back was easy, as we were at the table with the coaches as it was all reported.

I took a course on basketball officiating back when I was in college, taught by one of the best officials in the area, and we covered that "mechanic". He said to give the intentional signal, followed by either the football ejection signal or the baseball ejection signal.

The NF answer is: There is no signal. You signal your preliminary "intentional." Then say "flagrant." When you report to the table verbalize "white, 32, intentional flagrant foul." Then have the non-calling official notify the coach. Although you may want to explain what you saw and your interpretation to the coach.

There is no signal.

There's no such thing as an "intentional flagrant foul." A foul can be intentional, or flagrant, or neither, but it can't be both.

right. my bad. man it was late last night. my point was that there is no mechanic, this just needs to be verbalized.

Hmm...
 

Don't know if this was mentioned or not. But I thought that the mechanic for the flagrant foul described in the original situation was 1. whistle w/immmediate X-overhead, then if decided it was flagrant, 2. bringing the X-downlow. And by this showing of flagrant, should be automatically be known as a DQ.