T for the flop

Nevadaref · #22 (**permalink**) Mon Jan 24, 2005, 01:34am

Quote:

Originally posted by Forksref

Quote:

Originally posted by Nevadaref

Quote:

Originally posted by BktBallRef
1 T on the asst. coach, 2 on players, and 1 on the bench when we were unsure which sub made the comment.

Tony,
Could we explore this a little more?

I'm of the opinion that EVERY technical foul on bench personnel has to be charged directly to some individual.
In other words, I don't believe that you can justify making it a team technical foul even though you are unsure who said it. I think that you have to pick someone over there and charge it to that person, which could be considered worse if you are incorrect.
Although, I actually do happen to share your philosophy somewhat. That behavior can't be overlooked just because the official isn't sure of the specific offender. I would just like to see the soccer policy adopted.
(In soccer the NFHS specifically put in a rule that the coach gets the card if the referee can't determine which bench member made the comment.)
But I don't believe that our current NFHS Basketball Rules Book supports the decision your crew made.

If I don't know who said it, I'm going to give the coach the indirect T. Unless he is a total dimwit, he's going to take care of the individual to make sure it doesn't happen again. I think that it is the purpose of the indirect. I am not going to worry about the other bench person if I don't know exactly who it was. If the coach doesn't clean up the bench, then he will be the first to go.

Forks,
Perhaps I was unclear or maybe you are just being a little sloppy in your terminology. There is no question that the head coach gets an indirect. The issue is who gets the direct and if there MUST be one. I say that the answer is yes. You can't have an indirect without a direct in a NFHS contest.
The chart on page 73 of the rules book says to charge a bench personnel technical foul directly to the substitute or other bench personnel member, as well as indirectly to the head coach, and it counts as a team foul toward the bonus.
Now your idea is similar to that of NFHS soccer. If you can't tell the T goes DIRECTLY to the head coach. (You said indirect.) In soccer it is a card instead of T, but amounts to the same thing. However, I don't believe that it is permissible to handle it this way either in NFHS basketball. The rules just don't support it.