NF rules. I saw this on the weekend and want to bring this up for discussion/feedback. Team A is being pressed. A1 releases downcourt and is about to receive a pass from A2. B1 is running back trying to cover A1. B1 raises his hands over his head, does not turn back to see the ball and screens the opponent. The pass hits B2's extended hands. (Much like a pass interference call in football, the defender had no clue where the ball was) B2 DOES NOT WAVE his hands in the eyes of the A1. The Official calls an unsportsmnanlike Technical Foul on B1. Is it the right call or was it a good defensive play?

Thanks

Ang

Ontario,
Canada

The way I understand your play this is good defense.

Under NF football rules, it is defensive pass interference.

Under NF basketball rules, it's nothing, nothing but a bad call in this case.

I'm not the best flag football ref, but would simply batting the ball away be DPI?

7.5.10 SITUATION C:
A1 or B1 is in a position where he might catch or intercept a forward pass beyond the neutral zone. An opponent, who is in the vicinity, turns his back to the ball. The opponent directs his attention to A1 or B1 and waves his arms to block the vision of the potential receiver or interceptor.
Ruling: Hindering an opponent's vision without making an attempt to catch, intercept or bat the ball, is pass interference even though no contact was made. This is the only situation in which there may be pass interference without contact.

IMRO (In My Rookie Opinion): No Call...Bad T

Larks

when you called the tech, what was the reaction of the player-coach-fans-your partner? i dont think calling this a tech is a quality call.

He didn't call it. he saw it called.

my bad........when he called.......

Since the situation only refers to B2 not putting hands in front of A's eyes, it begs the question of whether or not the official believed that B1 had done so. B2 caught ball, but if B1 obstructed the vision intentionally, this is a darn good call. 10-3-8-d.

Since title is waving hands in face, it sounds to me like this is exactly what B1 did and was penalized for doing. But I can't tell because the original statement is not clear enough Ang.

We went over this in our interpretation class this year. Face guarding an opponent who does not have the ball is an Unsporting Tech Foul. I do not have the book with me, but we went over this. I would try to give a verbal warning first, but if the defender persisted to do this, I "T" him up.

Now, I mean the defender has his hand in the offensive players' (again-who does not have the ball) Face(eyes).

Waving hands in face
 

10-3-8-D
Obstructing the vision of an opponent not in control of the ball by waving hands near his eyes is an unsporting foul.
Sounds like a judgement call,depending on how close the hands are to the eyes.

The original post specifically says that <B>B2 DOES <i>NOT</i> WAVE his hands in the eyes of the A1</b>.

Case 10.3.8.A says, "holding or waving the hands near the eye for the <b>ostensible purpose</b> of obstructing an opponent's vision is unsporting.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't use the word <i> ostensible </i> very often (like never). In this case, I think the rules committee is trying to say that you better be darn sure it's intentional if you're going to call it.

No foul IMHO.

Z

The original post also references B1 as raising his hands and having back to ball. The unsporting T call was against B1 not B2 - so why are B2's actions relevant? We need to know precisely what B1 did before criticizing the call.

My mistake, B2 is not in the play. The T was on B1. B1 didn't know where the ball was and put up his hands and arms over his head running back to cover the offensive player.

By the way the Coach of the offending team was upset

Ang