I do mostly girls JV here in New York, under NCAA rules. Here are a couple of situations that I'd like all of your input on.

1) Player A1 steals the ball and dribbles down the court for an uncontested layup. Player B1, behind her, yells "Shot!" as she goes up for the layup, clearly before A1 releases the ball. No other B player is anywhere nearby. The body language of B1 as she yells makes me believe that the only reason she does so is to distract A1. Do I ever make this call? Do I warn the teams? Do I just let this go?

2) Players will often yell "Dead, dead, dead...!" when an opponent picks up her dribble. This is OK, as it is a legitimate communication with teammates about what's going on on the floor. The other night I had A1 taking the ball out of bounds. Player B1, who was guarding her, starting yelling "Dead, dead, dead...!" My feeling here was that this was not an attempt to communicate with the teammates but rather an attempt to distract the thrower in. I warned both teams not to do this for the remainder of the game. Your thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
-Ben

I can't think of any ruling against distracting a shooter except during a free throw. I'd have a tough time calling an unsportsmanlike "T" for what I read here. Only if there is some taunting/baiting.....
I think you did the right thing by just asking the players not to do what they were doing. This could easily prevent bigger problems later in the game.

What I would do....
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Lotto
[B]I do mostly girls JV here in New York, under NCAA rules. Here are a couple of situations that I'd like all of your input on.

There is nothing in the rules, unless during a free throw maybe that makes this illegal. My opinion is to let it go. But if the players count aloud during the throw-in I will definately talk to them next dead ball. This is one of those annoying things that happens and is at your discretion whether to stop it or not. If I'm wrong about this Someone will let us know!!

Rule 10-5: Unsporting tactics of players include, <EM>but are not limited to,</EM> the following:[list of offenses]

Note the empasized phrase. The question for me is whether trying to distract a shooter verbally is an "unsporting tactic," especially considering the level (JV).

I don't think you T this up, unless it crosses the line to baiting or taunting. I see this alot, and I chalk it up to the same thing as the defender yelling ball, ball a hundred times or chatter during baseball.

It is gamesmenship, but not unsportsmanlike.

Of course you have to make the final call on whether it is or is not yourself. Personally, I think you would open a can of worms best left alone.

I agree with Brian, if you call a T on this, you open a can of worms, that you wish you didn't. Where do you draw the line. Do you T a player up for raising his arms when a player is about to shoot a free throw?

I looked at rule 10-5 and i didn't see anything about players yelling at the opponent in order to distract them in the manner decribed above. I don't beleive as officials we should tell them to stop.

Yelling
 

If I remember right, a few years ago this sisue was addressed in one of the casebook plays. the ruling was that yelling (screaming) is not a normal defensive/or offensive technique when it obviously is not communicating with a teammate. I find this happening especially in the lower levels ie middle school/ junior high. Usually talking to the player solves the problem, but if it does not, I see no problem with a technical foul under unsportsmanlike.

Would you give a coach a technical for pressing when they are up 40 points? I find that this is unsportsmanlike.

2 different scenarios
 

When a team is up 40 and still pressing, I start calling every little bit of contact. The coach usually gets the message!!

that wasn't the question

It's still 2 different scenarios. Sorry I misinterpreted your question.

It's easy to get boys to stop yelling "ball, ball" or even "SHOT". Just tell them only girls do that.

I've yet to find a way to get girls to stop yelling that stuff. I know it's very common and not against the rules, I just find it annoying and I don't like to be annoyed. ;)

This is the god's honest truth. I was doing a christian league, boys varsity level. One of the teams was...deaf.
Even the coach gave instructions with sign language. Not
quite sure how they knew when we blew the whistle but they
stopped play when we did, maybe by seeing our mechanic for
stopping the clock. Anyway one of the deaf players stole
the ball and was on a breakaway layup full court with an
opponent trailing after him. Just as he was laying the ball
in the basket the opponnent yelled at the top of his lungs
to distract him. Well the ball went in and I looked at
him and said," that was kinda useless". He just looked at
me in embarrassement.

Did they keep signing, "ball, ball, ball?" :)

(no disrespect intended)