Where in the rules/case book is it written about faking a foul as committig an unsporting foul. I've looked in the rules book, rule 10 (Fouls & Violations) and can't find this violation specifically addressed. Thanks

Rule 4 Definitions

SECTION 19 FOUL

ART. 13 . . . An unsporting foul is a noncontact technical foul which consists of unfair, unethical or dishonorable conduct. Acts of deceit such as accepting a teammate’s foul or free throw, faking being fouled, use of profane or inappropriate language or gestures are unsporting.

Has anyone ever called this? (I saw it once while I was watching a HS game -- there was about a foot of space between the defender and the dribbler when the defender went flying backwards with a loud "UNH".)

No, but have said to a player, “Hay that was a great act, next time you will get a T and not an Oscar for it.” Works every time.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hawkk
[B]Has anyone ever called this?

When I was a kid, the late Tommy Joe Eagles, who coached at Louisiana Tech and Auburn, was a high school coach at Cedar Creek Academy in Ruston, LA. His players went all over the court looking for a place to draw a charge. For example, one always set up right behind a player shooting a free throw. After the shot the player would turn and start up the court and sometimes there was contact, and other times the player would do a Dennis Rodman flop. I saw them get
T'd for this several times.

Several times?! Yowsa. Even rats can learn . . . .

I have called a block many times on a flop. Usually gets the point across.

Induced Fouls
 

Lefty Dreisel used to teach his players (maybe he still does) to get real close to the guy they were defending, grab his jersey in the middle, up against the chest, and fall over backward pulling the offensive player down on to of them. His old Maryland teams used to draw a lot of "fouls" of this sort - usually led the ACC. Have any of you ever seen/called anything like this?

Re: Induced Fouls
 

Yup,but it's more prevalent in football.It's an old pass blocking technique used by offensive linemen when they're being bull rushed.

I called it today because of this board. Jv game and somewhere in the third quarter I see the home team player fall down trying to draw a charge. I thought about it but then it was too late. Later in the fourth quarter, visting player dribbling between two players and the one to his side flops. I had thought about the first one earlier, so when I see this one, I blew my whistle and said oh sh>>, what is the signal. went to get help for my partner cause I was not sure at that moment if it was a T. He said no and I asked again and he says no again with a look of let it go. Then I remembered from the post that it was an unsporting foul. So I turned gave the T signal and verbal call of unsporting foul. Coach after conferring with player tells me that the other player touched him. Well, he flopped and got what he was supposed to get for it.

Coaches who teach players to cheat do a dishonor to the game. Sportsmanship is important to me and when I see an unsporting foul or conduct, I am going to take action. My partner may not but I have no qualms with calling it. I say do not give em any break on unsporting conduct. They might expect that every game and then they get a ref who does not give em a break and he or she has to take "the other refs give us one break". If you miss it once, do not miss it again. Have the courage to call it.

Hmmm. There's a line somewhere between gamesmanship to draw an official's attention and unsportsmanlike behavior for faking a foul. Seems to me the T should be reserved for the blatant behavior -- I would not be inclined to call a T for "faking" if there was contact on the play.

Unsportsmanlike behavior
 

While hawkk makes a good point, as a coach, I applaud everything a ref does within the rules to preserve and promote sportsmanship across the board. Coaches who teach their players to cheat (like in my reference to Lefty) should not be allowed to get away with it. I would like to see a rule change so that an unsporting T on a player would be an indirect on the coach. I'll happily take my chances on with a rogue player doing it once without my instigation, if coaches who teach their players to cheat get nailed.

I made the original post and I unfortunately let the defensive player get away with it the first time. Second time he wasn't so fortunate. When I made the call ("T"), the only person who questioned it was the player. The coach never said a word. He knew what his player did was wrong.