Technical Foul Mechanics
 

What's the best way to call a technical foul for an excessive timoeout? I had it happen tonight in a girls varsity game. The player called a time out while under pressure to inbound a ball after a made basket. I called the foul and the table said the team was out of TOs. The coach already knew it and knew what was coming. I didn't do anything dramatic. I walked over to the coach and told her what happened and what I weas calling. I then went to the other bench and informed the other coach. I also notified my partners. After the TO the referee told me to go to the table, blow the whistle and signal the T so everyone in the gym knew what was going on. Is there an actual way to call this? I didn't see the need to "sell it" since the coach was clearly aware of what happened. Any suggestions?

You need to blow the whistle and signal the foul at some point. By the time you've taken the TO and shot the shots (did you do that before the TO?) it's really too late. In your scenario, I think I'd have whistled when the table says, "He doesn't have any left." Step back from the table, blow the whistle and signal the T. From there, the "no big deal" mechanic is just great, really preferable to making it into a production number.

I don't think that there is a need to blow the whistle. Just give the T sign to the table and report, "TEAM technical foul, excess time-out." Then administer the time-out as normal and shoot the 2FTs when you resume.

Something that has helped me communicate that FTs are due to a technical foul is to give the T sign just prior to indicating the number of shots to the shooter. This is especially helpful when you have FTs for a personal foul and FTs due to a T being attempted in succession at the same basket. This clearly indicates the order in which the FTs are being shot to your partners, the table, the coaches, and any observers watching, and increases everyone's awareness of which player should be shooting which FTs.

You probably meant you called the timeout?

Ooooh, that hurts. :) The player "signalled" for a TO, I called it.

I agree. In fact, I think Johnny did it fine. No need to signal to the table, because the table just gave you the information that it was a T. Plus, you're probably standing at the table (as opposed to being in the reporting area) when you assess the technical -- because you're not just going to take their word for it, right? You're going to go over and check with both scorers. "You sure they didn't have any left? Ok. You agree? Ok. Then it's a technical foul to the team, it doesn't go on the kid who requested the time-out. We all set? Ok, I'll tell the coaches."

That's just how I'd handle it.

I had this in a game a few years back. Home team is winning by 3 points at the end of the game and visitors are pressing full court. Visitors make a basket to go down by 1. On the ensuing end-line throw in, with too much pressure, home player who is trying to inbounds the ball calls time out. Her team has none left and I had already told the coach.

I granted the time out and then signaled the technical. It was no secret. Truly everyone in the gym knew it. The girl was so distraught, it hurt to watch.

Visitors hit one of two free throws and miss a shot at the end of regulation time. In overtime, visitors go up by 2 with seconds to go. Home has no timeouts (again), inbounds the ball and it ends up with the girl who had called the time out at the end of regulation. She throws up a 3-point heave from just over the division line that goes in as the horn goes off. It was really a joy to watch her joy.