Ejection for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

[Tom Grady]

I have no problem kicking the player out for two usc's. I think the heat you are getting comes from other peoples' opinions as to what conduct takes the penalty out of an unnecessary roughness or any other personal foul and into a usc. For example, I call a retaliatory slash a usc if the players are not involved in the action. In a recent-high school game, I had a kid wind up and slash a player's shin after he had been legally clobbered by that player. The players were away from the ball and he did it in anger. The player later got another usc for arguing and cursing, triggering an automatice ejection. After the game the assistant coach was ranting that the slash should have been an unnecessary roughness, not a usc. Under our local bylaws, the player had to sit out his next game.

Basically, I think the coaches dont want to lose players for any part of the game, and are going to give you grief. But I cant let a kid, and the rest of the players on both teams, see that slashing, spearing etc. another player when they are not involved in the action is just like a reular personal foul. They may think a one-minute releasable foul is worth the price.