Excellent point- I am not too fond of that either, especially when I think it's a smart assed response...
While I very seldom do that, I think I'll work on NOT doing it at all...

One thing at at time:

Q1: I am not going to assess any Ts here as it is a situation that you put yourself in. If the player has been a problem or has not been a problem it is likely not going to happen again and there doesn't need to be any unnecessary attention brought to the situation where it looks like the ref touched a player. Everyone in the stands and the coaches can see that the intent was to prevent injury either to the official or the player and nothing can be gained by assessing a T.

On the other hand if you do assess a T (I believe that its a mistake as there is nothing unsporting here, just a player letting the official know that he/she does not want the contact) then you inserted yourself into the game and need to deal with the consequences. I would not be quick to assess a second one.

Q1(a): Again, not assessing a T even if player is a PIA. Again, why draw extra attention. If the player did not use any profanity and didn't address and did not do anything unsporting why punish the player and draw extra attention to an action that we are attempting to avoid. If you feel the need to assess a T to a PIA then find another reason.

Q2: Find a way to avoid the situation, take a step back forward, left or right but get out of the way of the player. You as an official know where the players are attempting to go. And generally I don't report the time out until the players are in the huddle. This gives coaches the full time allotted for the time out and keeps me out of harms way.

We are part of the game but no one comes to see us officiate, they come to see the players. No need to bring attention to us until absolutely necessary. One very good official once told me that assessing a T should improve the game. If assessing the T will not improve the game then don't assess the T. I find no way that a Tech in this situation will improve the game.

I might let it go if he just yells, but if I have to reach out and physically stop a collision because he isn't watching where he's going, I'm not going to let him push me while he yells. He has to keep control of himself.
As for the "people didn't pay to watch the officials" garbage, I don't buy it. I'm not officiating for the fans, either. If I want to worry about what the fans are paying for, I'll try out for the NBA. Just officiate the game and address the behavior. They didn't pay to watch me rcall traveling, either, but I'm still going to do it if necessary.

And the "would it make the game better" question is a great tool for borderline behavior that gets overused. Technical fouls generally make the game better, but they don't have to in order to be good Ts.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this. Any such reaction is an overreaction.

That said, I have NEVER cared for a pat on the butt among athletes, and I certainly think it's never appropriate between officials and players. Whether an official is a lesbian, heterosexual, or an amoeba is irrelevant. Just don't do it.

Pseudopod? Yes. Butt? No ...
 

Amoebae have a butt? I must have missed that in Miss Parente's ninth grade biology class.

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