Screaming Player
 

First-year ref here. A few weeks ago I officiated an AAU game between 6th grade girls. There is a girl on one team who always guards the inbound passer every time and when she does she screams bloody murder. I mean it is the loudest scream I have ever heard. Seriously, it hurt my ears and I heard this scream in my sleep for days afterward. She doesn't say anything she just screams as loud as she can like she's being murdered. Her opponents were very flustered by this scream. As you might imagine the opponent's head coach complained to us that this had to be against the rules somehow - that it was excessive. I deferred to my more veteran partner who explained that there was nothing in the rule book that prevented her from doing this.

I'm going to be officiating her team again this weekend. So, my question is couldn't this be construed as an unsportman act or an act designed to bait the opponent and therefore a technical - I mean they wanted to punch her lights out? How would you handle this situation?

It's annoying. It's bush league.

If I was the opponent, she'd find the ball in her gut. That'll happen if she does it in the high school game.

As an official, I'd be hard pressed to find a reason to address it. 6th grade AAU, I might just tell her to knock it off if it hurts my ears.

Our board had instructions for approximately 1 year to call an unsporting T for this behavior. That instruction was rescinded.

At this point I would do what Snaqs said. Tell her to knock it off. Also, if one of the girls punches her, I would throw both of them out. The puncher for fighting and the yeller for instigating the fight.

if you've ever had a younger brother or sister, you know that they "do things" just to annoy you.....when you ignore them - they stop.

same principle here (or should i say "hear"....hehehe).

just ignore it. as an official, you should be the calmest person on the floor - don't let this bother you. it will stop. you can add this to your list of "funny" bball stories you'll tell people as you get more officiating experience.

I only disagree that it'll stop. It obviously didn't.

At higher levels, it's up to the opponents to stop it, and it would be pretty simple. Lower levels (like 6th grade AAU), I wouldn't hold it against an official who told her to stop and then gave her a T if she refused.

what would the basis for the T be?

In a 6th grade AAU game? You could invoke the "not limited to" provision, or the God rule (2-3). It doesn't really matter, IMO. Again, I'm talking about a situation where the player is screaming so loud it hurts the officials' ears.

Thanks guys. I'd like to just ignore it and may have no choice but to do that.

FYI - It doesn't stop. You can tell it's coached. The few minutes she was out of the game , her replacement came in and did the same thing but she didn't have the pipes to make my ears bleed. The coach is also a loudmouth who doesn't stay in the coach's box, etc. What concerns me the most is that it really riles up the crowd - mostly the parents from the other team, which then riles up the screamer's team parents. They start yelling onto the court "Make her stop! Tell the coach to play the game fair!" and more.

T him for this. It'll stop. No way do you put up with this, especially in a 6th grade AAU game.

It's taunting. Whack.

First time she does it, blow the whistle, run over to her with genuine concern and ask if she's ok. When she says yes, blow it live and when she does it again, blow it dead and run over to her with genuine concern. Etcetera. She (or more likely coach) will get the point if he wants to play.

And PS - a coach who is intentionally straddling that line of sportsmanship should definitely be rung for leaving his coaching box. First time. Every time.

I would invoke the "TN" rule.

This is something you do not ignore and for which there is a rule.

Sorry for my ignorance, but I'm a newer guy who just finished his third year.

What does "TN" stand for?

/thank you