Is there such a thing as a "bench technical"?

[Scrapper1]

This was asked at a meeting tonight. Suppose between the 1st and 2nd quarters, you hear a derogatory comment directed at you from Team A's bench. You don't know who said it, but for the sake of argument, you're sure that it came from the Team A bench.

Since you don't know who said it, can you issue a technical foul to "the bench", without giving it to a particular person? Just have it be a team foul. If you can do that, would it get charged indirectly to the head coach (since it's a team foul)?

[Nevadaref]

We've discussed this before. The official is supposed to charge someone with a direct technical foul in these cases. Here is the penalty section for 10-4-1,2,3,4.

PENALTY: (Arts. 1, 2, 3, 4) Two free throws plus ball for division-line throw-in. If the head coach is the offender, the foul is charged directly to him/her. The foul is charged to the offender (if not the head coach) and also charged indirectly to the head coach.

However, if you truly don't know who said it, some have argued that you can charge it as a Team technical foul. Of course, Team technical fouls are NOT charged indirectly to the Head Coach. Others have contended that the Head Coach should be charged directly based upon this statement in 10-4: "The head coach is responsible for the conduct and behavior of substitutes, disqualified team members and all other bench personnel."

The fact is that there is no clear answer in the NFHS book.

[zebraman]

I would say that Case Book Play 10.4.1 Situation D supports the fact that you can call a bench T and also charge it as an indirect to the coach.

Team A coaches and substitutes are all standing during a free throw by A1. The infraction is detected by the officials. How many technical fouls are assessed? RULING: In a situation where similar multiple infractions occur at the same time, it is not the intent of the rules to penalize each individual infraction as a separate technical foul. One technical foul is charged to Team A and it is also charged indirectly to the head coach in this situation.

Notice that the case play did not say that the referee had to identify a specific player to charge it to. Sounds to me as if it was just recorded as a team technical. Notice that it was still an indirect on the head coach.

[Nevadaref]

Z,
It's not your fault, but what you have cited is an inconsistent ruling by the NFHS. That case play ruling does not mesh with the definition of an indirect technical foul.

4-19-5e. An indirect technical, charged to the head coach as a result of a bench technical foul being assessed to team bench personnel, or a player technical foul being assessed to a team member for dunking or grasping the ring during pregame warm-up or at intermission.

I think that the NFHS ruling for 10.4.1 Sit D should have been to charge ONLY the Head Coach with a direct technical foul. If the Head Coach was not one of the offenders, then the situation becomes messy.

The was a similar ruling in last year's interps about the twelve team members changing into their jerseys prior to the game in the bench area. It also said to give the coach an indirect.

I do believe that giving the coach an indirect is probably the right thing to do in these cases, since he is supposed to be in charge of his bench personnel, but the NFHS needs to amend the definition in 4-19 and change the chart on page 73, which currently does NOT indicate an indirect to the Head Coach for Team technical fouls.

[Nevadaref]

BTW there is an NCAA approved ruling which states that the T gets charged directly to the Head Coach in a situation in which the official cannot identify the actual offender on the team bench.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

BTW there is an NCAA approved ruling which states that the T gets charged directly to the Head Coach in a situation in which the official cannot identify the actual offender on the team bench.

There was something issued by the FED also that mirrored the NCAA AR. I don't know whether I've still got it someplace or not. It's common sense anyway; a head coach has to take responsibility for his bench.

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

BTW there is an NCAA approved ruling which states that the T gets charged directly to the Head Coach in a situation in which the official cannot identify the actual offender on the team bench.

After I posted the question, I went to the NCAA book and found the same ruling. It's AR 209 on page 164; under 10-9-1. But in HS, it seems like we don't really have a way to handle this.

[w_sohl]

I tell the kids that if someone doesn't own up to it, it will be directly charged to the head coach.