The Official Forum - inadvertant shistle

Quote:

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Quote:

Originally posted by Camron Rust

Sounds that mimic officials' whistles are quite different than stomping feet. Hollaring and stomping feet are never a reason to stop. A whistle is. If the coach's whistle resembles the officials whistle so closely that players stop I think it is a special situation that needs to be handled within in the spirit of the rules. Players are taught to play to the sound of a whistle and are not expected to analyze the source of the whistle or the reason why it was blown. There is no rule governing this...either for or against. It comes under 2-3. The referee has to do what is right.

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I agree with your idea of maybe not letting the coach get away with that whistle in that particular situation, especially if you think that the coach is gaining an advantage out of it. I don't agree that you haveta go to 2-3 to handle it though. You've already got a handy, serviceable rule in place that you can easily adapt to this situation- i.e. a technical foul under R10-4-1. Serves the same purpose anyway. You're giving the offended team 2 shots and the ball back, and the coach is getting a warning issued to him in the form of the direct technical foul that he is charged with. You can also cite casebook play 10.4.1SitC (the one where you withold your whistle for a T on a coach while an opposing player is on a breakaway) as being fairly close to the actual sitch, and use that to justify your call also.
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I suppose you could call a T if you knew it was deliberate and intended to gain an advantage. But, I'm going to fall give the coach/team the benefit of doubt to simply call the ball dead and give it to them OOB. The T feels too heavy handed for an unknown.

The T you mention in 10.4.1sitC is quite different. The T is going against team B, who is on defense, while the team A is on an apparent direct path to the basket. You withhold it to not eliminate the advantage that A earned....maximizing the penalty for a clearly unsportsmanlike act.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Next question, Camron. If an opponent is behind a player with the ball on a breakaway and uses the same type of whistle as the coach, do you call it? And, if you do, what do you call it?

Good question!!! You may have just painted me into a corner. ;)

After some thought...

First, it depends on the reaction of the shooter.

No response...scores the bucket...no call, maybe a verbal warning to the defender (assuming that it sounds remotely like a Fox40)

Startled response and it does not sound at all like a Fox40...nothing.

Startled response and it does sound like a Fox40...nothing....maybe a warning.

Stops play thinking the ref whistled (sounds exactly like a Fox40)...a T...unsportsmanlike. He would have had to practice to get it to sound like that.