Just wondering how some of you deal with players (girls games, typically) who yell when the opposing team is laying the ball up and they have no chance to make an effort to block or steal.

Josh

I just wear earplugs :cool:

Otherwise, as long as there's no profanity, I ignore it.

Personally I either ignore it or, if I am a little on the testy side that night, ask them if they realize how silly they sound.

I did have an interesting variation to the "ball, ball, ball..." yell. The other night one of the girls yelled "giggle, giggle, giggle..." the first time and "tickle, tickle, tickle..." another time. She had something different everytime. I also worked a Special Olympics game where one boy screamed "BRICK" every time someone prepared to take a shot...even did it once to his one team.

Don't see anything to stop them, unless you feel it gets to the point of taunting.

I got nothin. No rules on this except free throw disconcertion.

Can you imagine if there were....

A1: BALL BALL BALL.....HEY.....MISS.....AGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!
Ref: Tweet...illegal use of voice

Signal Mechanic: Stick finger down throat (caution...vomiting can and probably should occur)

Larks
VIT

Huh?
 

Say what? :)

My favorite is the yelling of "ball, ball, ball" by girls on inbound plays.

In rec games, sometimes I will blow the whistle, motion for the inbounder to give me the ball, put it right in front of the face of the screaming defender and say loudly, "YES, IT IS A BALL!!!"

That usually stops them for the rest of the game.

I think we've discussed this before, but many of us teach man-to-man defense using something called shell drill. We teach the players whether they are in "BALL", "DENY", or "HELP". While teaching, we sometimes have them call out what they are at any given time. Frustrated coaches might have their teams do it on the court in the game if they are having trouble with it. And sometimes habits are formed.

Having said that, there is a difference between repeating it to remind yourself and communicate to your teammates versus screaming it in the face of your opponent. The latter could be unsportsmanlike after a simple warning. And another disclaimer, there really is no need for them to be calling it when guarding the inbounds passer--it's not like she's going anywhere outside of the three-foot spot!

This is not golf. Yelling is not prohibited. Yelling BALL! BALL! BALL! at your opponent is annoying, but cannot be construed as illegal. If it isn't prfane, vulgar or threatening the players can do it.

[Edited by stripes on Nov 20th, 2002 at 10:13 AM]

I agree, nothing unsporting or illegal about it. Let them yell all they want.

One game last year, I was about to hand the ball for a throw-in. I blew the whistle, and the defender put her finger in her ear and made a little face. I apologized, and handed the ball. (You can see where this is going, can't you?) The defender started yelling, loudly, "ball...ball...ball" I put my finger in my ear and made the same face she had. She laughed, and stopped.

On the boy side of this discussion...

Usually when someone who is not a player is bouncing a ball out of bounds somewhere, I either yell, "Hold the ball!" or catch their eye and make a signal with my hands cupped as if around an imaginary ball.

Unfortunately, last night there were three or four boys playing a little keep away with about four balls. I shouted, "Hold your balls!" Doggone it!! You'd think with three sons, I'd have known better. Fortunately, no one else heard me, and the boys were behind/beside the bleachers, or I'd have had to give them T's for obscene gestures.

<b>ROFL!</b> Glad I wasn't taking a drink of coffee when I read that one!!! A good thing you had no witnesses!

Official FIBA interpretation:

If the ball goes in -> warning
If the ball misses -> T

ADR

Yes, If the coach or AD had heard that, I'd be reffing in stripes sideways as well as up and down!

Not guarded screaming
 

I personally hate this play. I think it has no place in the game. Our state association adressed it and they have come up with an adoptation that states:

"If not closely guarded, a warning shall be given to the offending team. The second offense is an unsporting technical foul".

I used to call it and occasionally I received "thank-you's" from parents / administrators. However, it seems that this is never called by others, so rather than fighting the trend, I usually wait until a dead ball and tell the player that it can be considered an unsporting act and you're too good of a player to use that tactic. Personally, I hate it and think it has no place in the game...

mregor