I was reffing girls modified (= pre-JV) last night. After a held ball, I heard one of the girls mutter to the other something like "That's weak." I went right up to her and told her to cut that kind of talk out. However, I thought afterwards that I should have T'd her up. See, here in NY, we have a sportsmanship pledge against taunting, baiting, and trash talking and we warn the girls in the captains meeting that any incident will be an automatic T, no warning.

So, what do you think?

I don't believe i would give a T. I think you took care of business by saying something to her. good job.

I think you handle it correctly, especially since you said "one of the girls". Does that mean you were not sure which one made the comment?

Now, if she had said "Weak b!tch" ...BA-BOOM

Good preventive officiating...no T

In PA we have the same prerequisite pre-game sportsmanship agreement. In that specific case however, I woudn't even acknowledge it. Fair comment. We 'judge' play, they should have some leeway in responding, at least to each other w/o corrective action. I think let the small stuff go otherwise the door is open for action/response to all comments.

I think that this is a little too PC for me. Profanity or direct comments questioning the validity / honesty of the call are a different matter but to T someone for saying a call is weak is going overboard. Next thing you know someone will be Td for looking cross-eyed at a ref after a call.

Or even staring straight-eyed!!

Teammates commenting quietly, without profanity, on the quality of a call to one another doesn't rate a response from a ref. I think it makes you look overly sensitive. Certainly no T. They are entitled to their opinion. If they object directly to you in terms that are such that you need to T 'em up, do so. If they show you up by yelling "that was weak" so the whole crowd knows they think the call stunk, T 'em up. But they are entitled to discuss the quality of calls amongst themselves without fear of penalty. What rule have they violated?

Some already do!

Last week I had a girl give another a stare down after slight contact in the first quarter. At the break, my partner said "I was waiting for you to give her a T, I would have". I was thinking, HUH.

Did you mean that her comment was about the call, or that it was her "opinion" of the ability of the other player? I couldn't tell from the way the post was worded.

However, either way, no T for something that "weak".

I'm with you Mark i didn't understand the post to say her was comment was about the Ref. either way it was handle correctly.

no T. good common sense

It was directed at the other player, whose team was losing by about 40 points at the time.

If it weren't for the sportsmanship pledge (no trash talking, this is your only warning), I'd have no doubt that I'd done the right thing.

Sorry, I'm a little slow tonight. Do you mean that A1 and B1 tied the ball up together, then you made the call, then A1 said to B1, "That was weak" about B1's ability? I think I'd have T'd that!

Or was A1 saying to B1 that the call was weak, so B1 wouldn't feel bad about something?

Lotto, this is exactly why you can't throw a T. Just in this post, we have people who don't know who the comment was directed at, or what it meant.

Was she referring to the call, the opponent, or herself, for perhaps not making a better play?

Although you think you know what she meant or who she was talking to, you can't assume. It was soft spoken, it wasn't obvious, and it wasn't directed at you. Leave it alone. Don't look for it. Call it when it's obvious.

It was 99% clear to me that the comment was directed at the other girl, impugning her play.

BktBallRef...if you officiate half as good as you articulate your thoughts, you are one bad @ss Ref! :)

Dan

P.S. Of course I'm sure you already know that. ;)

Lotto, I don't question that. I'm just saying that if there's any room for error or distortion, you're simply asking for trouble when it isn't obvious. You need to be 100% clear, not 99% clear.

As it is, you handled it without giving the T. Aren't we all better off? :)

Thanks Dan! Check's in the mail, buddy! ;)