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 That instruction was rescinded.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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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This is something you do not ignore and for which there is a rule. |
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What does "TN" stand for? /thank you |
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4-19-14 . . . An unsporting foul is a noncontact technical foul which consists of unfair, unethical, dishonorable conduct or any behavior not in accordance with the spirit of fair play. |
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since when did we start officiating the game of basketball like it's a tennis match?
annoying yes....illegal no. |
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There are those that believe to warn, then whack, but if it's as bloodcurdling as the OP says, perhaps jumping straight to whack would be effective. |
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This is not a taunting situation, period. |
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I can see some merit in that, i.e., acknowledging that her opponent has picked up the dribble. But just screaming to be screaming? I've watched thousnads of basketball games, in person and on TV. I've never seen it done. It's not part of the game. I'll warn her and then T her up if she continues. And if the tournament director has a problem with it, he can send me home. I don't givea****. |
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It Was As Simple As That ...
Had a player, guarding the inbounder, yell out "One. Two. Three. Four. Five.", in a scrimmage last season. I asked him to please cut it out, which he did. His coach, from another state, asked me about it. I told him that it just didn't seem "sporting" to me, plus, his player may have been trying to influence my count. Coach said, "OK".
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yeah ima newbie too i would use discernment when it becomes a spectacle and effects the game you should do something
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Well, sure enough, she was screaming this weekend. My God, it's loud! My partner didn't want to do anything. We discussed it during the first timeout and he said he'd never heard anything like it before but didn't think it was a big deal. She actually got louder as the game went on. Late in the first half, I finally told her to cut it out which she did. At halftime, my partner said I should really let it go. Then, she started up again with about two minutes to go in the game and the whole team started screaming whenever someone on the other team took a shot. Didn't scream shot, just screamed. After the game, I asked the coach what the purpose was for teaching that and he said that he didn't teach it at all. He actually tells the kids to yell ball ball ball and shot but they just scream instead. Wow, I thought...what a liar.
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Like probably all of you, I've had girls (mostly) yell "BALL BALL BALL BALL..." on inbound plays. When that happens, the next time there's an inbound I tell the girl, "You don't have to yell ball, ball, ball. We already know it's a ball." Sometimes I get a smile and they stop. At least it's worth a try.
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