Unsportsmanlike?
 

This happened Fri night BV game. Right at the end of 1st quarter two players go to the ground and one of my partners saw that one sort of pushed and the other pulled him down. Horn goes off and said partner goes to get the two of them basically to warn them to knock it off. One kid stays there to listen the other basically blew him off and turned and walked away...set aside for a moment the question as to why didn't he call the push and/or pull to begin with, what if anything do you do to the kid who blew you off?

Sounds like your partner handled the way I would. I probably wouldn't of have a double here. Talk to them and tell them to knock it off. The player that blew your partner off I wouldn't have done anything there. However, that player just showed me he doesn't want to listen; therefore, I'm probably not going to talk to him any longer throughout the game. I'll just blow the whistle.

I agree. Though I won't be targeting the player, he has surrendered his benefit of a doubt card for the rest of the game.

Right. To be clear, I'm not going to target that player either.

Of course. I hope you didn't take it that I was saying that you would.

No, no Welpe... certainly not. Just thought I'd clarify before someone did... how I wrote it I suppose one could possibly think that. No worries.

There was really no need to talk to the players. Just go into the locker/dressing room and discuss the match up with partner(s). Kinda keep an eye of how competitive it is.

In a JV game this year my partner warned a player in the first half for his mouth after each time he committed a foul. In the 4th quarter he was called for a foul. During the timeout that followed the foul he began to mouth off to me. I warned him and he waved me off over his shoulder as he walked to his bench. That was enough for me after repeated warnings (one in the first half and one before I administered the Tech).

Needless to say, if you try to have a conference with them they probably will walk off. I would run over and sternly say "knock it off" or "calm it down" and then stay with them until they go their seperate ways.

For furture reference, that's one too many warnings. A player/coach/bench personal gets one warning from the entire crew. After that, if it occurs again, it's time to take care of bidness.

Tjones thats probably true. However, the last resort for me is giving a Tech. If I give one warning that is all I give. Thats the one I gave him before he waved me off and questioned the call leading to the Tech. He mouthed a little, but I mainly got him for waving me off in the manner he did. Best 10th grader I've seen play, but his attitude will run him into a dead end.

Tjones' point is that your partner's warning was all that was needed. You're a team/crew, and when a player or coach is warned by one, more warnings only perpetuate the problem.

Once he began to mouth off, you T it if he's already been warned.

I definately see the point. Our association stresses preventive officiating and that we should do everything we can not to administer a technical. Personally, I don't like this point when it comes to technicals. For 3 seconds, little hand checks, and minimum rough post play off the ball I can understand. But we cannot be expected to give mutiple warnings that have no meaning behind them if we are not going to enforce a penalty. My partner in my situation warned the player in the 1st quarter, for me that was a while before the problem I encountered. That is why I gave him a little warning before eventually whacking him.

We had a situation where a official T'd a coach for accusing him of cheating and rigging the game because of the foul differential. And also being on the court when doing so. The official took this and T'd him for "flagrantly" disrespecting an official and for coming onto the court. The association didn't like the way he handled the situation and felt that the coach should have received a warning before being whacked. With a coach accusing an official of cheating I can see that as flagrant in a sense of being a serious act of false accusation, don't know if you could sell it or not though.

If a coach directly accuses me of cheating, he's done for the night. Flagrant T.

Your association is stupid, IMO. Around here, that would have been an easy one and the association would back me 100%. Sounds to me like coaches there have too much control.

Same here Snaq.

CDurham,

It seems to me that one of the hardest things for officials to learn is that a T is just another kind of foul - once they do, it's usually pretty easy to put it into perspective. The officials aren't responsible for the T, the player or coach is by conduct that violates the rules. I agree with the others here - one warning maximum, then penalize. And there are some situations where they won't even get the warning if their conduct is egregious enough!

Does your association realize this is a scholastic competition and sportsmanship is important? Unsporting acts from a player will get a T from me 95% of the time (no absolutes). Unsporting acts from a coach will get a T from me about 60% of the time.

Your association should never encourage preventative officiating to the point where a T is the last resort.

"I can help someone stop calling Ts, but I can't get someone to start calling Ts." - Donnee Gray

I agree 100%. It's beginning to look like the association is all about politics. Which nowadays everything is evolving into politics. You would think the association would want every coach/player to act accordingly, respectfully, and in a mature manner. If they can't they should be penalized and used as an example to show the image/behaviour we accept and approve of. Its bad when an official has to always keep the association in the back of their head when making a decision.

This is very true TT. I am a 2nd yr varsity official and it's just starting to hit me that a T is not an indictment of my officiating, but a tool I have that just needs to be used from time to time. I have felt for a few years now that if I give a T it's because I lost control of the game. So far from the truth.

CDurham, your assoc needs to reevaluate. That kind of policy is strangling the power away from the officials and hurting the game/kids. Like Tomegun says, sportsmanship is #1 in scholastic athletics. We are trying to build character in these young adults, not teach them how far they can push while still getting away with it.

Agreed. The first time you give a technical is always the hardest technical you will ever give. After that, it gets easier when the situation warrants a technical foul. I will never forget my first technical, I struggled with myself to give the T while the coach was yelling at me all night. Finally did it, it felt good and never heard a word from him the rest of the night.

Durham,

For the last two years in the rules meeting and every area meeting we've been told by the state, by our assigner (in several emails per year too), and by our area supervisor that we collectively are letting waaaay too much unsporting behavior slide w/o enforcement. We are being told at every turn in the road that we as a group are not calling nearly enough technical fouls for unsporting behavior. Last year, an area AD even wrote a letter to the state complaining that no officials were enforcing coaching box restrictions or enforcing rules on coaches unsporting behavior!

The problem, and this may deserve a thread of it's own, is that we are selected for post season by votes of coaches. Every coach you T is one more coach that isn't voting for you.

No problem. You can still look at yourself in the mirror after the game, can't you?

Exactly! As our commissioner likes to say, "Don't sell your soul for a bowl of porridge."

Yep. I can look at myself in the mirror when I am done for the night. During post season, I look at myself in the mirror at home, and I'm just fine with it. :)

As soon as they broke the huddle from the intermission I would have targeted his a$$ for a quick conversation. :cool:

My first T was against my son!

Yep, pressed into service several yrs back due to lack of officials - B12U Rec Game. My son is the point guard and as he does a dribble-drive he falls on the horribly slippery gym/cafeteria floor and goes down hard while holding the ball. Me, TWEET! Travelling.

He slams the ball down in frustration and the ball goes about 15-20' in the air as I recall. WHACK!

Sad part was, my wife and my parents were in the gym. It was a rather quiet, chilly ride home........ :o

We can joke about it now (and I'm still married to the same understanding gal).

HAHAHA! That might be the best T story I've heard so far!