Game Situation

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Lets look why the use of the F-word can be considered a disqualifying foul. The NFHS and NCAA rules approach this situation in different ways.

NFHS R4-S19-A4: A flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent or savage nature, or a technical noncontact foul which displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. If personal, it involves, but is not limited to violent contact such as: striking, kicking and kneeing. If technical, it involves dead-ball contact or noncontact at any time which is extreme or persistent, vulgar or abusive conduct. Fighting is a flagrant act.

NFHS R10-S3-A8b: A player shall not committ an unsportsmanlike foul. This includes, but is not limited to, acts or conduct such as: using profane or inappropriate language or obscene gestures.


NCAA R4-S25-A4: Flagrant foul, live ball. A flagrant foul shall be a personal that involves severe or excessive contact with an opponent while the ball is live.

NCAA R4-S25-A5: Flagrant foul, dead ball. A flagrant foul shall be a direct technical foul when it involves either unsportiing conduct that is extreme in nature or severe, excessive contact against an opponent while the ball is dead. A5a: An exception is a foul by an airborne shooter.

NCAA R10-S5-A2: Direct Technical Fouls for Unsporting Player Conduct. Unsporting tactics of players include, but are not limited to the following: Using profanity or vulgarity; taunting, baiting, or ridiculing another player or bench personnel; pointing a finger at or making obscene gestures toward another player or bench personnel.


NFHS rules state that vulgar conduct is a flagrant foul. NCAA rules state that using a vulgarity is a direct technical foul. I would hope that nobody would disagree that the F-word is a vulgarity. That being the case, disqualifying a high school age player for using the F-word is a no brainer. I find that disqualifying a college age player for using the F-word because we should expect better behavior from a college educated person.

Playing for your school or college team is a privilege. Part of competing in sports is controlling one's emotions. If one cannot control his/her emotions within acceptable limits then that person forfeits his/her right to compete.

[JRutledge]

I would totally agree with you if they are talking to me as an official or another player or coach. But the problem is that I am not going to do something if a kid says something to his teammate or to him or herself. I agree that it may be vulgar, but to the degree is another issue. And depending on where you are and who is talking or around, you might have some debate on that. I am not one to encourage profanity or to just let it pass, but are you going to go into a huddle of players and coaches and give T's for language between themselves? I say a kid last week push his own teammate in anger, are we going to give a T for teammates fighting? I really do not have an answer other than you have to live with your decisions, and if that is acceptable to you, then be out!! You have the right to make any kind of judgement you like on the issue, but others have the right to disagre and debate you on it. And I know that all of us to not feel the same on this issue and never will. We can give all kinds of rules wordings and justifications for doing what we do.

10-4 Says:

Commit an unsportsmanlike foul. This includes, but is not limited to, acts or conduct such as:

a. Disrespectfully addressing an official.

Not this first one alone is going to give great debate, because something said to one official might be precieved as disrespectful and to another, it just complaining.

e. Objecting to an officials decision by rising from the bench or using gestures.

We would never have a coach if we applied to this all the time.

g. Squad member(s) not remaining seated on the bench unless spontaneously reacting to an outstanding play by a member of their team and immediately returning to their seats or reporting to the scorers' table.

Now I use all these examples to illustrated that judgement is always going to apply. I really feel there is no right or wrong here, I just feel that you have to find what works for you and stick to it. If the slightest behavior of any of these gets a T from you, more power to you. But for many of us, we are going to give a little rope so when they do hang, they hang themselves.

[Brian Watson]

My usual progeression goes like this.

If it is a non f-bomb directed a no one (ie frustration) and no one heard it; I let them know I heard it, and then they really feel stupid. In my opinion, this is all that is needed.

If it is an F-bomb I'll wack him/her.

If it is directed at another player or official Flagrant, no questions asked.

If it is just your garden variety profanity directed at another player or offical, whack.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Nowhere in the NFHS and NCAA rule books does it say that use of a vulgarity to be a technical foul that it must be directed toward an opponent or an official. The use of a vulgarity by a participant in a sporting event is unacceptable.

This past Fall in a boys' H.S. varsity soccer game a player called his teammate a F-ing SOB and not only did I hear it but about ten other player heard it. The player was mad at his teammate for missing a header on a crossing pass. I sent the player off (red card), that is soccer speak for being disqualified. I had no objection from the player's coach. This occured 1-1/2 minutes into the game.

We officials are the real protectors of the integrity of the game. Just because vulgarity is becoming acceptable by some segments of society is no reason to lower our standards of acceptable behavior.

There is no place for that kind of behavior by a player or a coach and should not be tolerated.

[glind]

This is a very interesting subject. My personal way of dealing with it is like many of you said if it is not directed at anyone and not to loud, I just let them know that I heard it and I usally don't have any other problems. I will T the F-word up right away, but unless it was directed at an official or a player I would not disqualify that player.

Now, I have a question. What would you do if you heard the F-word but did not know who said? What if you knew what team?

[rainmaker]

glind, I second the question.

DeNucci -- I see your point about the F-word being a flagrant, not just a T. In December, I had a game with a real prima donna who thought if he didn't make his shot, there should have been a foul. Halfway through the second quarter, he missed a lay-up, and as he was rebounding his shot he yelled, "FFFF-----------!!!!!" They probably heard it in the next county. I T'd him of course, but what you are saying is that it should have been flagrant? It would have been better in this case as a flagrant, because he really carried an attitude the rest of the game, until he fouled out in the third quarter. Once he was gone, the game went a lot better.

But if a team is behind by two with 30 seconds left and a kid misses a fast break lay-up, and stands there under the basket swearing to himself, and literally no one hears it except me, should I DQ? I don't know...it just feels a little officious.

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by glind
Now, I have a question. What would you do if you heard the F-word but did not know who said? What if you knew what team?

You can't call it.

An unsporting technical foul must be charged to a person (i.e. it is not one of the admin team T's). You can't just say "Technical foul on blue bench."