Pregame Dunk

[JasonTX]

Why is it legal to dunk in HS games, but it's a technical foul if you dunk during warm up with officials on the floor? What's the purpose of this rule? Just curious.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Why is it legal to dunk in HS games, but it's a technical foul if you dunk during warm up with officials on the floor? What's the purpose of this rule? Just curious.

It's also illegal to dunk in warm-ups of an NCAA Men's game. So both the NCAA (Men) and NFHS forbid pre-game dunking.

[Ref Daddy]

If you agree that a dunk is the most "dramatic" solo shot and comment inducing, reaction gathering, then dunking before a game would POSSIBLY turn the pregame into a taunting circus.

IMHO

[Eastshire]

I always figured that they didn't want to risk getting the rim broken right before the game.

[deecee]

its illegal because if the kids can dunk then that would lead to the officials dunking and we dont want that

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Why is it legal to dunk in HS games, but it's a technical foul if you dunk during warm up with officials on the floor? What's the purpose of this rule? Just curious.

It's for the same reasons that were presented in the other forum.

I don't think you're "curious" -- I think you want to argue.

[Texas Aggie]

I think there's 3 big reasons, all of which sort of relate back to each other:

1. Injury risk. While anyone can get hurt anytime (i.e. during a game) attempting a dunk, the thought is that during warm-ups, the kids aren't yet warmed up and might get hurt due to that when they wouldn't if they were already in the game and warm.

2. Turn pre-game into spectacle. One side does it; the other side tries to do one better. Next thing you know, there's taunting, etc.

3. Equipment risk. I don't think there's much to this, but its still a moderate risk, especially in older gyms.

Again, it isn't so much that its 1, 2, then 3 as much as 2 makes 1 and 3 more of a factor. I keep thinking the committee is going to revisit this issue, but after writing this out, I now suspect coaches don't want to change it. They want the officials to control it, then ***** when they do.

[Adam]

Almost had this tonight at half time. H12 goes up for a warm-up layup and has his hand above the rim and pulls back without dunking it; letting the ball fall in. He turned and saw me watching, and I smiled and held my finger and thumb close together to let him know I saw how close he was.
He came over, laughed, and said, "I get in enough foul trouble, I don't need to get T'd up."