T or no T! what do you think?
 

Sitch: Boys V game about 10 seconds left in 4th, score all knotted up. I'm trail administering to Team A at midcourt after timeout. Player A2 inbounds to A1 he dribbles a little then drives the lane. Blows the bunny! Team B rebounds with 2 seconds left, calls timeout. Drops ball and runs to bench. Here is the question. Player A1 grabs ball and slams it about 10 feet in air! Frustration? or pissed about no foul call?..not sure. I almost T but think to myself, do I want to possibly end game on T! Both teams are not going to state(last year by the way)So I swallow whistle! I go over to him tell him not to do that again. Go to overtime and team A wins. I talked to a bunch a fellow officials some say Automatic T, some say good no call! What say you?

Go to the post Automatic T on p. 4 of this forum. Lots of disucssion on similar play.

Personally, I'd handle it the same way you did in either the first or fourth quarter; don't worry about ending the game on the T or not. This is one of those times you either talk to him, or have his captain do it, or his coach.

Since you weren't sure who it was directed at I think a no-call is best. Now, if he's glaring at you as he does it, or he does it after you ask him for the ball, or he's done it earlier and you've talked to him; whack-a-mole time.

Not automatic, though, in my book.

See "National Championship game" sitch very close to yours with a no call.

Whack.

Doesn't matter why he did it.

You don't ajudge the why. You only ajudge the action.

I don't think I could overlook this one. The action itself is bad enough, but it this particular situation apparently the player was not already holding the ball.


So it seems that A1 picked the ball up just for the purpose of slamming it on the floor. I think this is over the line. An orchestrated display, in my opinion, is that much worse than one that is totally spontaneous.

JAR brings up an interesting point that puts another layer of complexity on this situation making it somewhat different from others we have discussed.

This is an overt act - to apparently go get the ball for the purpose of slamming it down in disgust/frustration, as opposed to a spontaneous reaction.

Each case must be judged on its own merit - and, right or wrong, you chose not to "T" in this case.

Side comment - First "T" I ever gave was a game I was forced into action for my son (12). I "T'd" HIM up for slamming the ball almost to the ceiling out of frustration - he knew better. Mom and GRANDPARENTS in the crowd. While the temp was pleasant outside, it was a somewhat cold and icy ride home.....

In the other thread, I provided an example of a case where I would not whack. This is not it: I agree with JAR.

With the emphasis on sportsmanship this has to be a whack, the time and score doesn't matter. I would have a tougher time explaining to a coach the reasons I didn't whack him for his conduct. He went out of his way to go back and get the ball and slam it IMO this is a very easy whack.

This gets a whack from me. When the kid goes out of his way to retrieve the ball and spike it....

This is a also a good point in the season for this kid to learn this lesson. Before he does it in a game that matters more.

Unless the ball does not come back down (Don't you just love Newton's Theory of Gravity?):

WHACK HIM!!

T will be served.

Interesting that someone brought up the NCAA championship game last year. As was well debated, I thought it deserved a T there too, but I was clearly in the minority.

In this case (and at this level), the offending player needs to learn that it's not acceptable behavior. Letting it go teaches him that the officials will let bad (read:stupid) behavior slide if it's a close one. Bad example to set IMHO.

Why "whack him" does one ask? Very simple.

Two years ago in a boys' H.S. jr. varsity game, the game was tied with about ten (10) seconds left in the game. The home team was not very good and should not have been in the game but here it was tied with its opponent. I am L, table side, and Team H has the ball. H1 puts up a shot which misses. A held ball occurs on the rebound in front of me between H2 and V1. I sound my whistle and have my arms and thumbs up in the air. V1 lets go of the ball, but H2 does not and, instead, slams the ball about fifteen (15) feet into the air. Easy TF to call and Team H's HC reads H2 the riot act about losing his cool and takes him out of the game.

MTD, Sr.

Mark, I fail to see how this answers the "why" question.

Snaqs:

Read BadZebra' post between my two posts. He hits the nail on the proverbial head.

MTD, Sr.