Taunting the fans?

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by referee99

Looking for feedback (Fed Rules) relating to player interaction with fans.

Any rules interps would be helpful.

POE 1A in the 2003004 NFHS rule book:

TAUNTING/SELF PROMOTION:
Players are increasingly directing their celebratory actions towards opponents, which should be interpreted as taunting and baiting, and penalized accordingly. Further, the committee is concerned with the trend towards players "playing to the crowd", attempting to increase attention and praise for their own accomplishments rather than towards the game itself and team achievments. While many of these actions are not specifically legal by rule, extreme behaviors could and should be considered taunting and baiting the opponents. Officials should remind captains and coaches at the pre-game conference that all actions and reactions should demonstrate appropriate sporting behavior.

In a further POE in 2005-06, the FED warned against players being allowed to use their uniforms in unsporting ways i.e. popping the shirt to the crowd, etc.

The penalty laid out was a player technical foul charged to the offending player, or a team technical foul if several players were doing it.

So you do have rules backing to do something about players gesturing to the opposing fans. Imo it's best to warn the player first though, and also take it to his coach at the same time. A simple "Coach, he's gotta cut that crap out...or else" might be the best way to go.