Stick 'em or not?

[The Canuck]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Silly me. I always thought that unsportsmanlike technicals were determined by the action of the player, not other factors. Please cite the rule number that states whether or not you call an unsportsmanlike technical is dependent on the score and/or the time left in a game. Thanks.

Nothing silly about it Mark, you're absolutely right. But this is language players understand. Nobody wants a technical to decide the game. If it has to, it has to, but if it can be prevented in any way, it should be, as far as I'm concerned.

10.3.20. Delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly made live or by preventing continuous play. This shall also apply to bench personnel.

To me, actively refusing to put the ball in play by ignoring it is "preventing the ball from being promptly made live" AND "preventing continuous play".

Before you howl at that interpretation, sleep soundly knowing I never have to enforce this set of rules again. The bad thing about our profession is how eager we are to show each other up.