Unsporting? Delay of Game?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by fiasco

A simple tip of the ball is not something that is usually going to delay the game. Like I said, I think most kids do it without realizing they're even doing it. Therefore I'm either going to ignore it, or just tell the player to leave the ball alone.

But a player who consciously walks the ball over to me or to my partner, or who intentionally bats the ball away from the opponent or sets the ball down on the ground is, by definition, causing a delay in the game.

By rule, it should be handled not with an informal warning, but with an official DOG warning. I'm simply wondering why some don't want to follow the procedure that's laid out in the rules for an act that delays the game.

What if it's simply a "simple tip of the ball" (your first paragraph) that happens to be slightly "away from the opponent" (your second) and doesn't give any advantage?

I think we're saying the same thing -- talk to the player / team (informal warning).

I'm not in any way sying an informal warning for something that clearly is in violation -- as in your second paragraph.