Double Technical - Player Disqualification

[coach41]

It's been a LONG week. Not only have I been fighting a cold, I scheduled myself to referee games (mostly high school, but a few adult league) this WHOLE week. Fortunately, my adult league games got cancelled giving a one day reprieve mid-week.

However, as it always seems to happen, when you get to your last game, those are always the hardest ones. My game saturday was a frosh/soph boys game with a lady partner I'd never worked with.

The game was a tough one. Both squads were not super talented but were about the same level. There was a lot of hard screens, hand checking, and bodies flying everywhere. Just based on the numbers I can vaguely remember, we must have called 35 to 40 fouls the whole game.

The double-technical/player disqualification scenario occurred with about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

One of visiting squad's players (#5) was called for a blocking foul by my partner. As my partner went to report the foul, I noted that #5 was screaming mad (couldn't hear what he was saying as there were a lot of fans there for a frosh/soph game) and that he had to be restrained by his teammates.

I gave the kid a couple of seconds to see if he would cool down. The kid didn't cool down so I calmly issued a technical foul. The visiting coach then proceeded to sub the kid out to avoid further issues.

So, as I'm about to report the technical foul, I notice the kid TOOK OFF HIS JERSEY on the way to the bench. I immediately issued the second technical foul. All in all, the home squad shot six technical fouls (2 for the foul (double bonus), and 4 for the technicals). The visiting squad eventually won 49-46.

So, some things in my mind were:

1. Comments on the first technical? My partner and I talked about it after the game. She thought it was the right thing to do.

2. On the player disqualification: For some reason, I thought it meant the player should be moved off the bench. So I told the visiting team coaches to get the player off the bench. Obviously, in looking up the rule book, I was wrong. The player is disqualified to the bench.

So, my last question is: Is there any reason to dismiss "bench players" to the locker room? I kept poking around the rule book earlier and didn't see anything.

Look forward to people's comments.

[Terrapins Fan]

If you are talkng high school ball, you're better off to keep them on the bench or send an adult to the locker room with them. ( An adult from the team ) Anything could happen if they are alone. JMO

[BillyMac]

NFHS Casebook 10.5: "In an unusual situation, an official has the authority to require that these indivicuals who have committed a flagrant technical foul must leave the vicinity of the court. This action is neccessary when permitting such offenders to remain at courtside would tend to incite the crowd, to incite the opponents, or to subject the officials, opponents, or others administering the game, to unsporting harassment. In such circumstances, the official should require the individual who has committed the flagrant foul to leave the vicinity of the court with an adult supervisor. (10-5 Note 2)

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by coach41

The kid didn't cool down so I calmly issued a technical foul. The visiting coach then proceeded to sub the kid out to avoid further issues.

So, as I'm about to report the technical foul, I notice the kid TOOK OFF HIS JERSEY on the way to the bench. I immediately issued the second technical foul.

Look forward to people's comments.

Did you have a third technical foul too? An indirect technical foul charged to the visiting head coach?

[Nevadaref]

JR,
If you reread the OP closely, it is unclear when the sub was allowed into the game. The OP says that he noticed the removal of the jersey as he was about to report the T for the unsporting behavior.

Personally, I would have reported the foul before allowing any substitutes. So perhaps an indirect to the coach is not appropriate here. Certainly the player had not yet been DQ'd as the official hadn't even reported his second T yet, let alone inform the coach.

[coach41]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

JR,
If you reread the OP closely, it is unclear when the sub was allowed into the game. The OP says that he noticed the removal of the jersey as he was about to report the T for the unsporting behavior.

Personally, I would have reported the foul before allowing any substitutes. So perhaps an indirect to the coach is not appropriate here. Certainly the player had not yet been DQ'd as the official hadn't even reported his second T yet, let alone inform the coach.

This is correct. As I can recall the sequence, I gave the player the first "T" and informed my partner. Then I went to the table to report the "T" and noticed that the player had been subbed out and also took his jersey off. That was when I issued the second "T" and ejected him.

After saturday's game, I realize why it is so important to be in control of the game and not let the "emotions" and other things overwhelm you personally.

I feel I am fairly calm during tense games but sometimes I get so locked in (ignoring the crowds, etc, etc) to "reffing the games" that I neglect the game management part of the games. I did better saturday in talking to players and coaches but obviously a few things I probably could have improved.

How do most of you keep yourselves locked into all you have to do as a ref? Is it through experience? Or is that something that can be learned?

[Nevadaref]

Honestly, it's can be learned and is just a matter of having been there and done it over and over many times. You'll get there. All of us still make mistakes.

So how did the sub get onto the court, if neither you nor your partner beckoned him in? Sounds as if you could have had yet another technical foul. Not that I would recommend making an issue out of that one.

[Ref in PA]

Originally Posted by coach41

How do most of you keep yourselves locked into all you have to do as a ref? Is it through experience? Or is that something that can be learned?

Yes.

Yes, through experience.

[armymanjones]

Originally Posted by Ref in PA

Yes.

Yes, through experience.

I agree. You definately learn through experience and repetition

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by coach41

How do most of you keep yourselves locked into all you have to do as a ref? Is it through experience? Or is that something that can be learned?

Both learning and experience. What you work on is getting the little things to become habits, so that you don't have to be "locked into" them. This is how you learn to read. You start with phonics, but you don't use phonics when you are an adult, except when you discover a new word. SO with reffing, you start by consciously having to think about all the details, but as they become more automatic, you begin to learn to parse the sentences and paragraphs, so to speak. You can learn all this more quickly by not only reffing, but also talking about reffing, and watching good refs from the stands.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Both learning and experience. What you work on is getting the little things to become habits, so that you don't have to be "locked into" them. This is how you learn to read. You start with phonics, but you don't use phonics when you are an adult, except when you discover a new word. SO with reffing, you start by consciously having to think about all the details, but as they become more automatic, you begin to learn to parse the sentences and paragraphs, so to speak. You can learn all this more quickly by not only reffing, but also talking about reffing, and watching good refs from the stands.

I think I agree with this. But I had trouble with some of the big words; so I'm not entirely sure.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Did you have a third technical foul too? An indirect technical foul charged to the visiting head coach?

To be clear, even if it was charged indiretly to the head coach, it wouldn't be a third technical foul.