What would you do?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

Now if you want to be precise, your reply above contains a generality which should be cleaned up. Not just any act which causes an opponent to retaliate by fighting would get classified by rule as fighting itself, but rather only an unsporting act which causes that retaliation. So if an official did not deem the attempted trip to be unsporting or an actual trip involving contact (perhaps the official only charged a personal foul), then any fighting retaliation would not cause the original fouler to be automatically DQ'd by rule.

Interesting.
B1 swipes at A1's foot and misses (official rules this an unsporting technical foul), A2 retaliates with a punch.

B1 swipes at A1's foot and makes contact (intentional foul), A2 retaliates with a punch.

We only get to toss them both if B1 misses.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by Adam

Interesting.
B1 swipes at A1's foot and misses (official rules this an unsporting technical foul), A2 retaliates with a punch.

B1 swipes at A1's foot and makes contact (intentional foul), A2 retaliates with a punch.

We only get to toss them both if B1 misses.

Not sure that is correct...the action leading up to the retaliation can be considered part of the "fight" by rule, I think. Don't have books with me on vacation, but I believe that wording is in there somewhere, isn't it?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by rockyroad

...the action leading up to the retaliation can be considered part of the "fight" by rule, I think. Don't have books with me on vacation, but I believe that wording is in there somewhere, isn't it?

It's there:

4-18 Fighting is a flagrant act and can occur when the ball is dead or live. Fighting includes, but is not limited to combative acts such as:
ART. 1 An attempt to strike, punch or kick by using a fist, hands, arms, legs
or feet regardless of whether contact is made.
ART. 2 An attempt to instigate a fight by committing an unsporting act that
causes a person to retaliate by fighting.

What? You don't bring your rulebook, casebook, and manual, with you to study on vacations? And you call yourself a basketball official?