- Basketball Officiating
- Rules
By Billy Martin 10 years ago
Some techniques to keep you out of hot water and handle NFHS technical foul situations.
The events in a high school basketball game that precede an official calling a technical foul on a player, coach or bench personnel can be a simmering pot of verbal abuse that has finally boiled over; or an ‘explosion’ of conduct that seemingly came out of nowhere, but however you arrived at this moment, you and your crew need to be certain that you don’t add to the stress level by incorrectly administering the procedures for a Technical Foul.
Let’s take a moment to review a few key points related to properly administering a “T” in a NFHS contest; and close with a few suggestions that may help you avoid having to ‘drop the hammer’:
- Each single technical foul carries the penalty of two free throws (FT’s) and the offended team taking possession of the ball at the division line.
- Shoot FT’s In Order — If A-1 is fouled in the act of shooting, and B-1 receives a technical foul for protesting the call, A-1 shoots the FT’s FIRST (with no players lined up), THEN Team A shoots the FT’s for the technical foul.
- Shoot The FT’s At The Right Basket — An obvious statement, but not always automatic when your heart is racing a bit and you’re moving from both benches and the scorer’s table explaining the call.
- Double Technical Fouls (i.e. A-1 and B-1 start jawing at each other) result in NO FT’s being awarded to either team, and play is resumed at the Point Of Interruption (POI).
ALL Technical Fouls (Except Indirect Technicals) are tallied towards the Team Foul Count as it relates to the Bonus situation.
Players and bench personnel can receive a maximum of TWO technical fouls before being disqualified from the game…Coaches are disqualified after TWO direct technical fouls, or a combination of THREE direct/indirect technical fouls.
Head coaches are tagged with an indirect technical foul when another player or bench personnel are issued a technical for one of the following scenarios:
- A player dunking or grasping the rim during warm-ups.
- An unsportsmanlike act by an assistant coach, bench personnel, or a player after they have been disqualified.
- A player removes their jersey/pants in the playing area.
- A player leaves the bench during a fight/confrontation.
And any SINGLE flagrant foul (personal or technical) results in the automatic ejection of the player, coach or bench personnel, and the offended team will shoot TWO FT’s and receive the ball at the division line.
Now the time-tested adage of only responding to direct questions, and not statements made by coaches or players, is solid advice, but a measured remark by an official delivered in a calm manner to a coach (in lesser cases to a player) who seems to be squealing about everything (“over the back!”; “three seconds!”; that’s a walk!” etc., etc…) may help to dial down the temperature of the coach by offering a short, empathetic comment:
- “Coach, I hear you; I’ll take a look at it.”
- “Coach, give us a chance to ref and manage the game.”
- Coach, that’s not what I saw.”
- “Coach, if it happened that way, then I missed it.”
If that doesn’t take some of the steam out of the coach, then you may want to consider offering a sterner comment that is accompanied with a clearly visible stop sign:
“Coach, that’s enough. No more tonight.”
And then step away and take your concentration and officiating talents up a notch, and be ready to handle your business, if the coach leaves you no other option.
It is true that, most times, coaches and players “T” themselves; the officials are just the messenger.
So if you have to call a technical foul; then call it, and be sure to administer it correctly, and you’ll likely find the game will flow much smoother from here.
NFHS Rule Reference: 10-1-4
About the Author
Billy Martin
New Jersey (NJSIAA) State Basketball Rules Interpreter
IAABO South Jersey Board 196 Basketball Rules Interpreter
ACCSOA Soccer Cadet Supervisor
ECSU (NCAA) Softball Umpire Development Staff
Billy has over 40 years officiating / umpiring experience with basketball, soccer and fast-pitch softball in the Southern New Jersey area. As an IAABO member, rules interpreter, cadet instructor and supervisor of officials – has been refereeing basketball for 40 years and recently started officiating scholastic soccer for the Atlantic – Cape – Cumberland County Officials Association (ACCSOA).
Additionally he is an NCAA umpire for the Eastern Collegiate Softball Umpires Association (ECSU) as well as a scholastic umpire for West (NJ) Chapter 5.
In the business world, Billy has more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience, most recently with Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), the industry leader in Customer Relationship Management and marketing tools and now with Medidata / Dassault Systemes (medidata.com)
Billy holds a Master’s Degree in Education (MEd) specializing in Sports Medicine and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) in Technology Management.
He is also the co-author of four Amazon best-selling basketball officiating guides called, “Beyond the Rules” and the “GameTracker Journal.” Billy is also the co-founder of “60 Seconds on Officiating” a destination site for over 100,000 officials in 80 countries worldwide (ref60.com).
Billy resides in Wildwood, NJ and loves boating, fishing, and just about any activity that will leave sand between his toes.
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Tags: Basketball Officiating
I am Billy Martin, an expert with over 40 years of officiating and umpiring experience in basketball, soccer, and fast-pitch softball. Currently serving as the New Jersey State Basketball Rules Interpreter and the Basketball Rules Interpreter for IAABO South Jersey Board 196, I have a deep understanding of the intricacies of basketball officiating, particularly in the context of high school games governed by the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) rules.
In the article on basketball officiating and rules, I will elaborate on key concepts discussed by Billy Martin:
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Technical Foul Penalties:
- Each single technical foul results in a penalty of two free throws (FT’s) for the offended team, along with possession of the ball at the division line.
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Order of Free Throws:
- If a player is fouled in the act of shooting and a technical foul is called, the player shoots the free throws for the personal foul first. Afterward, the team shoots the free throws for the technical foul.
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Correct Basket for Free Throws:
- Free throws for technical fouls must be shot at the correct basket, a crucial detail that requires focus amid the chaos of officiating.
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Double Technical Fouls:
- When two players engage in a confrontation resulting in double technical fouls, no free throws are awarded. Play resumes at the Point Of Interruption (POI).
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Accumulation of Technical Fouls:
- Players and bench personnel can receive a maximum of two technical fouls before being disqualified from the game. Coaches face disqualification after two direct technical fouls or a combination of three direct/indirect technical fouls.
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Head Coach Indirect Technicals:
- Head coaches receive an indirect technical foul for specific scenarios involving players, bench personnel, or unsportsmanlike acts.
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Flagrant Foul Ejection:
- A single flagrant foul, whether personal or technical, results in the automatic ejection of the player, coach, or bench personnel. The offended team shoots two free throws and gains possession at the division line.
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Handling Coach Interactions:
- Officials are advised to respond selectively to coaches' statements and use measured remarks to maintain control. A progression from empathetic comments to a clear stop sign may be employed if needed.
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NFHS Rule Reference:
- The article references NFHS Rule 10-1-4 as the basis for the discussed concepts.
Billy Martin's extensive experience and role as a rules interpreter make his insights valuable for officials looking to enhance their understanding of basketball officiating, especially in the high school context governed by NFHS rules.
