Should there be a call

[latterdaysaint]

Team A is beating team B by 30 points. Player A1 is inbounding the ball with 10 seconds left in the game. Player B1 defends the inbound pass. Player A1 intentionally bounces the inbound pass off of player B1's leg and back out of bounds. R hands ball to player A1 who again bounces the inbound pass off of player B1's leg and player A1 begins to laugh. R hands ball again to A1 who inbounds pass and game ends. Does anyone feel there is a case for taunting and baiting in this instance? R said B1 had a chance to catch or avoid ball if necessary. What would you do if you were ref?

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by latterdaysaint
Team A is beating team B by 30 points. Player A1 is inbounding the ball with 10 seconds left in the game. Player B1 defends the inbound pass. Player A1 intentionally bounces the inbound pass off of player B1's leg and back out of bounds. R hands ball to player A1 who again bounces the inbound pass off of player B1's leg and player A1 begins to laugh. R hands ball again to A1 who inbounds pass and game ends. Does anyone feel there is a case for taunting and baiting in this instance? R said B1 had a chance to catch or avoid ball if necessary. What would you do if you were ref?

I suppose taunting is one possible call, depending on how the laughing was executed.

I'm having trouble seeing 10 seconds elapsing on this set of plays.

Where in the world was coach B? Why didn't he change his strategy?

[latterdaysaint]

A1 after inbounding the ball off of B1's leg, twice, A1 inbounded the ball correctly and player A2 dribbled the ball down court and ran the clock out, with team B not contesting because of the score.
Player A1 did not laugh abnormally hard, just the kind of laugh as though he was having fun. Team B was angry following the game with A1's antics.
I think this is how bad rivalrys are started.

[rainmaker]

Originally posted by latterdaysaint
A1 after inbounding the ball off of B1's leg, twice, A1 inbounded the ball correctly and player A2 dribbled the ball down court and ran the clock out, with team B not contesting because of the score.
Player A1 did not laugh abnormally hard, just the kind of laugh as though he was having fun. Team B was angry following the game with A1's antics.
I think this is how bad rivalrys are started.

I might call this taunting, depending on how the rest of the game had been going. If they had already been warned about sportsmanship, and then laughed, even just a little, about having fun at the expense of B, I'd definitely call it. As I tell my own kids, if the butt of the joke doesn't think it's funny, then it's NOT funny. But if this was the first real laugh, and it was just because of the silliness of continuing to act dumb, I probably wouldn't. If they had kept it up after two times, I might have called it. I can see why B would be angry, but they certainly had some choices about how to handle the play, instead of just acting like victims.

[latterdaysaint]

Team A had been laughing at the expense of team
B all game, not real bad, but there had been previous plays where laughter had been at the lack of talent on team B.
Thanks for your response.
I will make a mental note for next time.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

This is one of those game ending scenarios that the less thinking that we do as officials the better.

Just look at the play. Team A is winning by thirty points, do we really want to get into a technical foul situation, that is already open to debate (or we would not be having this discussion in the first place).

[mick]

Originally posted by latterdaysaint
Team A is beating team B by 30 points.

There are good sports, poor sports and head cases.
B1 may not have been thinking properly... pressing with 10 seconds and down by 30. That doesn't make any more sense than throwing the ball of the same defender twice with the same point differential.
...There is something to be said for "not quitting".

Maybe the coaches should be held accountable for teaching some of the finer points of gamesmanship.
mick

[Ralph Stubenthal]

I would probably tell A1 to cool it and behave himself and then we'd quickly get on with the game.

[RecRef]

Originally posted by latterdaysaint
Team A had been laughing at the expense of team
B all game, SNIP

To my way of thinking a T for taunting was long overdue. You have to be real careful with this sort of thing or the fist could fly.