Last night, Girls sophomore game. Blue leads by 5 with about 7 seconds to play. White makes a basket, but has no timeouts. Blue refuses to pick up the ball for the inbound. White tries to flip the ball to the inbounder, as my partner blows the whistle. He calls a technical for unsportsmanlike conduct on Blue.

White makes both free throws and inbounds the ball from half court. The buzzer-beater rattles out and Blue wins by one.

I'm thinking that the T was unnecessary. Just start counting when the ball was available to Blue for the inbound. White would still have gotten the ball with one or 2 seconds left.

Comments.

A technical foul is completely uncalled for in this situation and unsupportable by rule. The blue team has 5 seconds to inbound the ball. If they choose not to, it's a violation. It's not unsporting to use the whole five seconds. It's smart clock management. That's absolutely horrible.

I agree. I would not have called a technical foul. IMHO, the act isn't unsporting, but is more delaying the game. I guess if you really wanted to, you could stop the clock and give a warning for delay of game, which would then force the team to inbound the ball anyway.

The rules already have a remedy for this situation. Just start the 5 second count and save the T for when you really need it.

Like Chuck said Blue has 5 seconds and they can use them all. You can't call delay of game here, that is as bad as a T..Chuck hit the nail on the head, great clock management....

No, you could not!! There is no justification by rule for not allowing the throw-in team to use all five seconds. This is not a delay situation. This is good strategy, period.

The only warnings we give for delay are clearly defined by rule. 1) Scoring team interfering with the ball after a made basket; 2) Defense breaking the plane of the OOB during a throw-in; and 3) Huddling in the lane when the official is ready to administer a FT.

Don't make up stuff just because you don't like the situation. That's like officials who call GT when a shot is blocked off the backboard.

There is no justification by rule for a whistle in the original situation.

Lucky for you Blue won. I wouldn't have been a happy camper if there was OT. I hope you had a few choice words for your partner in the privacy of the locker room.

When the ball is at the disposal of blue they have five seconds to inbound the ball. It would only be a technical foul if also violates then blue fails in inbound the ball within five seconds a second time.

Also take a look at what basketball says an unsportsmanlike technical foul is. I don’t think not in bounding the ball fall under any of those. 10-4-7

I did have a few words for my partner after the game. I phrased them with, "lets break the play down" and then we discussed.

I agree whole heartedly that a T was not warranted.

Now lets add a wrinkle (actually happened). When white batted the ball towards blue, the ball rolled 12 feet back to the wall because blue wouldn't take the ball. I believe that White would have left the ball alone had my partner been counting, but after they caused it to roll to the wall, could he have given a delay warning? If he does, the clock stops and Blue has to inbound giving White an unmerited advantage. Could he have T'd white for delay, thus negating the benefit caused by just giving a warning?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChuckElias
I think eastcoastref may have been referring to the ball contact made after the basket which, unless the ball is knocked so far from the playing floor, I would not stop the clock. It sounds like the ball contact was not so significant.

What team was attempting to delay? It wasn’t the white team. By rule you could issue a warning to white, but then you’re only justifying what blue is doing. It’s one thing if blue was going after the ball to in-bound it.

That’s just my two cents worth and you may have over paid for it.

The rule is question should be applied when Team A, after scoring, handles the ball in such a manner that causes Team B from inbounding the ball in a timely manner. If A1 picks up and passes, bats, or taps the ball to B1 in a manner that is in the spirit of good sportsmanship, then there is no infraction of the rule.

MTD, Sr.

The tap was not an infraction, but after the ball rolled too far away to be inbounded by Blue in a timely fashion we have an issue.

Since the ball was sitting on the baseline near Blue's feet, White had no need to touch the ball other than an attempt to force Blue to put the ball in play.

Again, I think the solution was simple. Blue could have picked up the ball, start counting. If my partner was counting, White would not have touched the ball. If they insist on batting the ball to Blue to get them to play, and the ball is now rolling away, T up White for delay, or ignore it completely and continue to count to 5.

It would only be a “T” if it was whites second time delaying.

You can always blow the whistle and admitter a throw-in to blue, for the ball no longer being at the disposal of blue.

Even though that gives White the advantage they were trying to create, a stopped clock and the chance to steal the inbound pass?