Common Sense
 

Playoff game, not mine but this did happen.

Team A is up by 1.

2 man mechanics.

Clock running in 4th quarter. Loose ball. Officials have a held ball. Clock stops with 0.4 seconds left. Immediately after the held ball whistle, team B calls time out and A1 runs to opposite end of court and jumps up and grabs the rim, thinking the game was over and they won. Does not pop the rim. Arrow is pointing to team A.

Team B coach wants a technical foul. Neither official saw it happen. During the time out they go to scorers table and ask, nobody saw it. After the time out they goe to A1 and ask him if he grabbed the rim, player says yes.

They give him a technical foul, B makes both free throws and wins by 1.

I'm simply telling the coach that I didn't see it and moving on, any thoughts?

I don't have a rule/case book with me, but in a seperate situation, there is something about hearing a comment come from the bench and calling a T, but having to keep it as a bench technical if you don't know for sure who said the comment. You're not supposed to ask, "Hey who said that?" with the point being that players/coaches are not required to come forward with any wrongdoing when questioned.

I think that would relate in the sense of the officials should not have asked, and if they didn't see it, then it shouldn't be called. If the player readily came out and told the officials that he had done it, without being asked, then maybe a T could be warranted.

I'll just say it would be hard not to call it if the player narc-ed on himself.

There's also nothing in 10-3-3 that says officials have to see that infraction to call it, though I'm sure that's the intent of the rule.

end of story

I've go nothing. If the coach from B keeps asking for the T I just tell him "Coach, I can only call what I see. Let's move on and finish the game."

Agreed. I'm reminded of the commercial where during the TO a coach is telling his kids who's going to throw the inbound pass and one of the players says, "Coach, I touched it last." The player goes to the ref after the TO and tells him and the ref gives the other team the ball. In that situation I'm saying, "I appreciate your honesty. You're a good kid to tell me. I called it as I saw it and the call stands." I wouldn't go asking about something a coach claimed. That could be a slippery slope.

This.

Further, how do you call a T for an act that neither official witnessed? This sets a REALLY BAD precedent.

There's nothing anywhere that says officials have to witness the act to rule on it, but it sureashell has to be assumed that's the case...otherwise, what's the alternative? Eyewitness testimony?

+1. So what if you do see it? Doesn't pop the rim, just jumps up and grabs it and let's go. 4 tenths left. Anybody calling it?

I'm not asking, that's for sure.

The dangerous thing about that phrase "common sense" is, it can mean very different things to different people. Some could say...

"It's common sense that you don't call a technical foul at the end of a game."

OR

"It's common sense that you don't grasp a rim during a game, or you could get T'ed up."

Or, a few other things. The reality is, common sense often means, "How come everyone doesn't think like I do?"

I may be in the minority here, but what is the true spirit and intent of the rule? Frustration..ok, intimidation/drawing attention to themselves...ok
Otherwise, I am treating this like a UFO.

Has he had any sportsmanship issues to this point?
Has his team, in general, been a problem?
Has his coach been a problem all game (or at all)?

Based on the answer to those being "nope"...I'm probably going to do a Sgt. Shultz impression here.

+1

I'm not asking and going on a detective spree. But if I were to have seen it, or my partner, no matter what it's a T.