Disconcertion on a jump-shooter, live ball

[SHellmueller]

Rec league game, NHFS rules, 13-year old boys game. Partner is a raw rookie, but it's going okay. 2nd quarter, he's the lead, and warns a player about something or another, after a made basket. The player warned was from the team that had been on defense, so I knew it wasn't an actual warning for delay of game. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Later in the quarter, at the opposite end, a player drives and misses a jump shot, no contact, then WHACK, partner calls a technical foul on the defender. I'm at trail and hear or see nothing out of the ordinary. Partner reports unsporting technical for yelling at the jump shooter. Coach is confused, then agitated, and I join the discussion. Partner claims "new rule" prohibits yelling at shooting players. I pull him aside ask if he's sure thats his call, he says yes. I tell him no rule exists as he has stated it, he says there is, we shoot technical FT's. I let the coach (also league commish, also his son who was penalized, also tie ball game) vent on me a bit, he's actually fairly polite since I've worked many of his games. Coach gives me an earful, but in a joking manner, for the next two quarters, then for another four as a player later that night during his men's rec league game. (Yes, it's a small world, and I work a lot of games.)

Two questions: What would you have done here, and where is my partner getting this strange notion. I've checked the POE's for the last couple of years, nothing there. I could understand if the player yelled a profanity, or yelled directly in opponents face, we might have taunting. But this didn't feel like that at all.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by SHellmueller
Rec league game, NHFS rules, 13-year old boys game. Partner is a raw rookie, but it's going okay. 2nd quarter, he's the lead, and warns a player about something or another, after a made basket. The player warned was from the team that had been on defense, so I knew it wasn't an actual warning for delay of game. I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Later in the quarter, at the opposite end, a player drives and misses a jump shot, no contact, then WHACK, partner calls a technical foul on the defender. I'm at trail and hear or see nothing out of the ordinary. Partner reports unsporting technical for yelling at the jump shooter. Coach is confused, then agitated, and I join the discussion. Partner claims "new rule" prohibits yelling at shooting players. I pull him aside ask if he's sure thats his call, he says yes. I tell him no rule exists as he has stated it, he says there is, we shoot technical FT's. I let the coach (also league commish, also his son who was penalized, also tie ball game) vent on me a bit, he's actually fairly polite since I've worked many of his games. Coach gives me an earful, but in a joking manner, for the next two quarters, then for another four as a player later that night during his men's rec league game. (Yes, it's a small world, and I work a lot of games.)

Two questions: What would you have done here, and where is my partner getting this strange notion. I've checked the POE's for the last couple of years, nothing there. I could understand if the player yelled a profanity, or yelled directly in opponents face, we might have taunting. But this didn't feel like that at all.

When you absolutely know for certain that your partner (who is fairly new) is dead wrong, you give him a chance, and then he sticks to the wrong call anyway, there's not much you can do at that point. At half time, I'd have said very firmly that he had the rule completely misunderstood, and he shouldn't call it again the rest of the game, until you could get out your books and settle it one way or the other. (Who knows where these weird ideas come from? I've had a few of these myself that needed to be dealt with.) Then I'd have told that coach to back off, for Pete's sake. By my estimate you took way too much guff.

[Mark Padgett]

Tell your partner basketball isn't golf.

[SHellmueller]

Yes, I like that explanation. Or tennis for that matter!

[stosh]

Actually in soccer it is considered to be Unsporting Behavior (a yellow card) for yelling at a player with the ball even though it is rarely done and hardly ever called. A rookie should listen to advice from a veteran. That's how you become a veteran!

[WeekendRef]

I understood that yelling in the shooters ear for the sole purpose of distracting them during a layup/jumper could/should be considered unsporting and be penalized with a technical foul .
I have never given a tech for this before but I have given out plenty of warnings for screaming in the players ear . The screaming ranges from "BALL" at the top of their lungs in the shooters ear (Usually done by girls) to just screaming "AHHHHHHHHH" in hopes of distracting . I have even heard an occasional "Noonan"....ok maybe not that but that is what I would yell
If this isn't considered unsporting then evidently I don't understand the word very well !

[Adam]

You may be able to consider this unsporting, I would certainly consider it in certain circumstances. However, the official in question said it was "a new rule this year" that specifically addressed and prohibited this.
Usually what I see is the defender yelling "shot." You really can't address that, unless you're going to require both defenses to play without asking for help from teammates; since "shot" is largely a communication to the other teammates that a shot is going up.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by WeekendRef
I understood that yelling in the shooters ear for the sole purpose of distracting them during a layup/jumper could/should be considered unsporting and be penalized with a technical foul .

There's no rule against it, unless it involves something that could be considered definitely unsporting, such as swearing.

[WeekendRef]

Originally posted by Snaqwells
You may be able to consider this unsporting, I would certainly consider it in certain circumstances. However, the official in question said it was "a new rule this year" that specifically addressed and prohibited this.
Usually what I see is the defender yelling "shot." You really can't address that, unless you're going to require both defenses to play without asking for help from teammates; since "shot" is largely a communication to the other teammates that a shot is going up.

For the most part whenever someone yells "BALL" into someones ear on a layup I don't consider that defense at all I consider it unsporting/taunting and I don't think anything good can come out of it....I will give a lot more slack if it is a jumper from outside and their team is underneath and needs to be alerted to box out.
The ref was definitely wrong about it being a POE and in the rule book for that matter . I would consider it good game management by keeping the yelling to a minimum...

[refnrev]

Some rookies stay raw longer than others. Sounds like this one may take a little more time to thaw out.

[oc]

Ask rookie if he was reading a FIBA book. It is a T in FIBA.

[BktBallRef]

Originally posted by WeekendRef
I understood that yelling in the shooters ear for the sole purpose of distracting them during a layup/jumper could/should be considered unsporting and be penalized with a technical foul

No, it shouldn't. Don't do it. If he directs profanity, a racial slur, etc. toward him, then fine. Stick him for that. But there's absolutely no basis for calling a T on a player just because he's yelling.

We not hear to write new law, just to enforce the ones that already exist.