Still bugs me: what would you do?

[Back In The Saddle]

This happened in a game I was reffing during a camp last summer. I didn't know what, if anything, to do about it then. And I still don't know.

Team A is playing with some rather young players (high school tourney, but the sponsor school brought some jr. high players in on one of their teams). One of the kids is just really young looking and really small.

Several times during the game a certain team B player would "trap" this little player at mid-court. By which I mean that when A would come down on offense this B player would stand in the way of the A player as he got across mid court. When the A player would try to go around him, the B player would move to block his way. No contact occurred, but the B player just kept in his way so that he couldn't ever get down on offense.

I can't really think of any rule that was being violated, it just seemed really mean-spirited to me, almost to the point of bullying. Perhaps I should have asked the B player if it made him feel big to pick on little kids? Perhaps I should have had a word with B's coach? If there had been any contact, I would have dinged the B guy for a bad screen.

Anyway, what think ye? Was there anything I could have done? Or should have I have done anything?

[FHSUref]

That is a tough situation to be in. Were I in that position, I would have waited for the first dead ball and alerted the coach to what I view as unsportsmanlike conduct.

Wow, this is a tough one!!!!!! You would like to think that kids are being taught sportsmanship, integrity etc... at that level but unfortunately, all too often, it all boils down to W's and L's.

[Dan_ref]

Originally posted by FHSUref
That is a tough situation to be in. Were I in that position, I would have waited for the first dead ball and alerted the coach to what I view as unsportsmanlike conduct.

Wow, this is a tough one!!!!!! You would like to think that kids are being taught sportsmanship, integrity etc... at that level but unfortunately, all too often, it all boils down to W's and L's.

How is this unsportsmanlike conduct again?

Isn't it B's job to legally keep A from getting in position? From what I read that's what he was doing.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally posted by Dan_ref

How is this unsportsmanlike conduct again?

Isn't it B's job to legally keep A from getting in position? From what I read that's what he was doing.

That's the conflict. In the smaller picture, he was doing a perfect job of keeping A from getting in position. However, in the larger picture, the manner in which it was done was pretty unsportsmanlike, I felt. It goes beyond harassing your man to keep him from getting to his spot or getting a shot off cleanly. This is an older, bigger kid pretty much picking on a littler, younger kid--to the point where the kid was being denied the opportunity to participate. That just isn't basketball. Maybe it just offended my maternal instinct But if I had to invoke a rule, perhaps call it taunting.

[BigGref]

Sounds like kind of a sh**ty thing to do match up wise, but not illegal in any way, at least IMHO.

If it really bothers you call it very, very tight! Coach and player will get the point.

[nine01c]

Tiny middle school kids should not be playing in a high school camp/tourney. No one is really learning in this situation. It's too hard for the younger ones, and no challenge/boring for the older (appropriate age) kids. Although just as boring for the refs, I would keep my mouth shut and stick to officiating the games. It is up to the administration and coaches to address this issue. IMO

[stripes]

If coach A brings a knife to a gun fight, too bad for him/her. It may not be fun to ref, but it is not illegal to have a big kid challenge and defeat a small kid.

That being said, in your shoes, if the big kid did anything close, I would probably call something on him/her.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by stripes
If coach A brings a knife to a gun fight, too bad for him/her.

I'm not sure I would have worded it quite like that, but I agree with the sentiment. If the jr hi kid is there to learn how to swim with the sharks, then you have to let him learn. It was his choice in the first place to be there, and he must have gone in with his eyes open. So nothing illegal to address.

[One-Whistle]

As frustrating as it is to observe, you call the game by the rules which govern it. No illegal contact, no call. No commentary either.

Every time that you chose to supercede rules you open a can of worms.

[footlocker]

Originally posted by stripes
If coach A brings a knife to a gun fight, too bad for him/her. It may not be fun to ref, but it is not illegal to have a big kid challenge and defeat a small kid.

That being said, in your shoes, if the big kid did anything close, I would probably call something on him/her.

Well put.

[BoomerSooner]

Just remember if you have a quick whistle against the big kids you got to have a quick one for them as well. The small kids are likely doing quite a bit of fouling to offset the offensive advantage of the big guys. Foul totals could escalate really quick.

[just another ref]

"Even with a whistle as a weapon, one cannot legislate morality."


anonymous