Weirdest call ever?

[Mark Padgett]

I was talking to a friend of mine (yes, I do have friends) who is a ref and we tried to top each other with what we think is the weirdest call we've ever seen. My entry was this:

I was waiting to do my game so I was watching a JV level boys game. A1 was holding the ball and was falling OOB. He threw the ball off B1's foot but the ball stayed inbounds. The official blew his whistle and called a kicked ball. OK - this happens sometimes.

He gave the ball to team A for a throw-in. His partner was extremely inexperienced and said nothing. After the game, I asked the calling official about the call. He said he ruled it a kick. I said a kick must be an intentional act and B1's foot never moved.

(I hope you're sitting down for this)

He said A1 intentionally threw the ball off B1's foot and that made it a kick!

I'm still in shock.

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

The weirdest call I ever saw:

Late in first quarter of HS varsity girls' game two years ago. Opponents substitute five players in and immediately go into a press. Quarter ends, and I tell my assistant to keep an eye on the scorer's table, then I tell my players if the starters come back in, we expect no press, and we'll do X. If they don't, expect a press, and we'll do Y.

Intermission ends, no one has gone to scorer's table, but the five starters come out onto the court. I'm not sure of the rule but I know that those players were supposed to report. I'm not sure if I should bring it to the officials' attention before or after the quarter begins. So right about the time the referee is handing the ball off for the throw-in to start the quarter, I start yelling that no one checked in, and that there are five different players on the floor. By the time anyone hears me, the ball is in and play has begun. The officials kill play and come to me to ask me what I'm saying, then to the scorer's table to verify that none of the opponents had checked in, then they huddle. The referee comes out of the huddle telling the scorer's table that we have five technical fouls.

I send my shooter up, who misses the first two. I'm thinking great, she's going to miss ten in a row. If she misses one more, I'm going to switch shooters. She makes the third, fourth, and fifth, and she isn't getting any more. I'm asking where my other five shots are and I'm told that "these kind of Ts are one shot Ts".

[cmathews]

Penn coach...man that is a whole lot of messed up LOL...after play had begun they all became players and thus not penalized for the substitution...so I guess you got 5 ft's that you shouldn't have

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

After the game I went home and read my rule book and found that out. So I should've gotten zero; could've gotten ten if I'd spoken up a bit earlier; and ended up with five. Eh.

I don't like to tell this story because it reminds me of the game--only time I've ever coached a team that blew a double-digit lead and lost.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by A Pennsylvania Coach
-only time I've ever coached a team that blew a double-digit lead and lost.

Really!?!? I've blown lots of double digit leads for teams. Just ask some coaches.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

My candidate is a game I officiated. It was a pool play game in the NW Regionals of the 1990 Ohio Sports Festival -- boys' 16U. The games were played using NFHS rules.

Team B is getting its clock cleaned and Head Coach B had already received one technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. Late in the second Team B gets a two-on-zero fastbreak. B2 stops in front of the basket while B1 drives toward him. As B1 reaches him, B2 grabs B1 around the waist and gives B1 a boost up so that B1 can dunk the ball.

I charge B2 with a technical foul (R10-S3A-8e), and I charge B1 with two technical fouls (R10-S3-A8e and R10-S3-A5).

A8e: A player shall not commit an unsporting foul. This includes, but is not limited to act or conduct such as, climbing on or lifting a teammate to secure greater height.

A5: A player shall not grasp either basket during the time of the officials' jurisdiction, dunk or stuff, or attempt to dunk or stuff a dead ball prior to or during the game or during any intermission until jurisdiction of the officials has ended. This item applies to all team members.

B1 got ejected for receiving two technical fouls, and my partner laughed himself silly. Head Coach B was not too happy but he knew better than to complain to us.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

B1 got ejected for receiving two technical fouls, and my partner laughed himself silly.

Hilarious! Truly hilarious!

I'll never understand how you could ever get yourself black-balled from varsity games in your area. Especially when you make outstanding calls like that!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee

Hilarious! Truly hilarious!

I'll never understand how you could ever get yourself black-balled from varsity games in your area. Especially when you make outstanding calls like that!

This was not a H.S. season game. And you had to be there. This is the type of play that could only happen in a summer tournament with wanna-be coaches and the such. But by rule I was correct. I have to admit that I could not keep from laughing either because it was such a stupid play.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
[/B]

But by rule I was correct.
[/B][/QUOTE]Ah,yes! A false multiple technical foul! Just your average,everyday call.

[oatmealqueen]

why did B1 receive 2 technical fouls? It's a little confusing.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by oatmealqueen
why did B1 receive 2 technical fouls? It's a little confusing.

Mark gave B1 technical fouls for:
1)Climbing on a team mate(B2) to secure greater height.
2)Dunking a dead ball- i.e.-it was dead on the first T above.

B2 got the technical for elevating B1 to secure greater height--i.e. 2 T's for the same act.

Just your average everday call.A simultaneous multiple technical foul, followed by another technical foul,which gives you a false simultaneous multiple technical foul. With 2 1/2 twists.

Only in DeNucciLand!

[Edited by Jurassic Referee on Aug 2nd, 2003 at 08:38 PM]

[Mark Dexter]

Actually, while I wouldn't call it, there is a specific NCAA reference stating 2 T's for a pre-dunk infraction then dunking a dead ball. (Rule 10, A.R. 3)

NFHS rules don't have this interpretation, but it is technically dunking a dead ball.

[Nevadaref]

When I was in my first year, I went to work a rec set in Maryland. I got there at halftime of the last game before my set. During this final half, a kid disagreed with a call and spiked the ball. Both officials saw it, blew their whistles, and gave T signs. However, instead of coming together and talking about the play, they charged the kid with TWO Ts, one from each official, for the same act, and ejected him!

[Mark Dexter]

My "weirdest" call - I call a foul on a player, turn to report it, then ask for the ball back. Instead of handing it to me, he throws it hard away from me and I charged him with a technical foul. Talking with my partners after the game, it turns out he was tossing it to one of my partners, who had been screened out from me. Of course, he threw the ball at the old C who was coming to switch (i.e., the person who should have gotten the ball).

What makes this weirder was that, watching Sports Center the next day, turns out the exact same thing happened in an NBA game on the exact same night.

[theboys]

Well, this is softball, but it ranks right up with the strangest sports oddities ever seen, so I'll relate it anyway.

A couple of buddies and I were early for our softball game, so we sat in the stands and watched the game in progress. Home team had runners on first and second, with no outs. Batter hit a fly ball, which was caught by the centerfielder. When the ball was hit, the runner on first took off for second, failing to tag up. The centerfielder threw the ball to the shortstop, who tagged the runner from first, who was already on the bag with the runner originally on second. The umpire correctly called the runner from first out. BUT, the runner from second left the bag, and started walking toward the dugout. The shortstop then tagged that player out, and the whole team started screaming, "Triple play, triple play!".

We haven't even reached the odd part yet. The umpires became confused, so conferred for a couple of minutes. The batter, who had trotted down to first, stood on the bag watching the meeting. The runner from first who left the bag early, stood on second, doing the same. The runner who had walked off second base, stood about halfway to third, waiting for the umpires' decision.

As hard as it is to believe, the umpires finally looked at first and saw a runner there, looked at second and saw a runner there, and must've thought the runners were the original baserunners. They told both to stay at their bases. Not sure what to do with the runner standing between second and third, they sent him to third. Bases loaded! Nobody out!

As you can imagine, the visiting team went berserk. The pitcher went into a fit that would make Bobby Knight proud. He was eventually thrown out for his creative use of the english language.

Later on, we found out the pitcher was the minister for one of the local Baptist churches.

All true.