proper mechanics/signals
 

Fellow officials, I just started calling games (pretty much just thrown into the fire), and would like to know the proper mechanics for calling a flagrant. So far I'm only into basketball, but I bet if you asked me to signal out a call for football, I would most likely be able to do it. I just wished televised basketball games focused in on the official when making the call like they do in football (and hockey) instead of showing the player making a "who, me?" face.

The signal is the same as an intentional foul. Arms raised over the head crossing each other with closed fists.

Actually all you do is call the foul and tell the coach the player or coach has been ejected. There is not specific signal or gesture that makes it clear you have called a flagrant foul. Only have called one of these in my entire career, I did us the "baseball thumb" method in the heat of the moment. I did not have any direction or idea what was right or wrong. Then again remember that most mechanics are suggestions, they are not absolutes. It is also possible the people in your area has a specific policy or mechanic to use either at the table or when calling the foul.

Peace

That is flat our wrong. There is no "officially" recognized signal for a flagrant foul at any level below the NBA. I do not even know if the NBA has a signal.

Peace

You are right but the norm is the INT signal. Wouldn't you say so? Thats what I use and know at the college level it is used.

Considering that I have rarely ever seen a flagrant foul called I do not know if there is a "norm."

Also the college level also does not have a flagrant foul signal. So you what you used was not sanctioned or necessarily correct.

Peace

J-Rut,
In the pro game we make the call just like any other foul but then raise either 1 or 2 fingers in the air depending on if its a Flagrant/Penalty 1 or a Flagrant/Penalty 2 type foul.

The norm is definitely <b>not</b> to use the intentional foul signal for a flagrant foul. I've also never heard of or seen it used at the major college level. That must be local usage only. The reason is that doing so would only confuse anybody watching the signal being made. The first question out of the coach's mouth is naturally gonna be "Why are you throwing my player out for an intentional foul?" Signals are used to explain, not confuse.

As Jeff said, there is no "flagrant foul" signal <i>per se</i>. If there is any kind of possibly universal use, it might be the baseball heave-ho signal.

In the pro game, they also have a travel signal. I don't know "why" though. :)

J.R-

Thats funny, Thanks for the laugh!!! :)

The real answer...
 

Blow the whistle again and raise both fists up over your head.

If you're doing FIBA rules that is :p That signal means a disqualifying foul has been called.

I had a flagrant in a playoff game a few years ago where a girl threw a punch during a scrum for the ball. It was a dead-ball flagrant, so I went T, then gave the baseball heave-ho. The observor at the game told me that, because there is no "mechanic" for a flagrant, this was the best thing to do mechanics wise.

I asked him later what would happen if it would be live-ball situation. He said merely fist for the initial foul call, and then the baseball heave-ho is the next best thing to do. This way, everyone in the gym knows that 1) you have a foul, and 2) you're ejecting the player. He specifically said DO NOT give an intentional signal.

There was a video posted on here (I think) w/n the last couple months that showed a live ball flagrant in a small college game, where the official I think did what I described above...

EDIT: I found the video on YouTube. Watch the far-side official. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WubVH83-Auk

Funny how everyone wants something different, isn't it? I've been told by evaluators to not use the baseball heave-ho as it tends to "rile up" the crowd. Punch the fist up like normal and indicate the type of foul and player who is being called, let your P know what is going on, then tell the coach the reason for ejection and have the timer start the stopwatch for a replacement.

Not that I've ever had to do it in a sanctioned game, but these are the instructions given to me.

Just raise your fist for a foul; don’t do a prelim (if you're calling a flagrant, everyone knows what just happened). Once you have the players under control and your partner is able to keep them under control, walk all the way to the table to tell them what you have. Then tell the coach you've just called the flagrant, and "why" if you feel it's appropriate and necessary. There's no need for signals on the court.

Now, every flagrant I've called was for an actual fight, so a signal wasn't necessary. We just got the players separated, sent them to the bench, got together to collect our thoughts and make a ruling, and walked to the table to report it and called the coaches together to let them know.

Whoaaaaaaa.......sure wouldn't want to rile up a bunch of people that have have been calling me an azzhole(amongst other niceties) for the last hour.:D