If Your Gonna Yell at the Ref

I was working a terrific game Saturday. The teams were both ranked in the Top 5 of their division. 500+ frenetic fans in the stands.

With less than 2 minutes left in Regulation, the Teams were lined up at the Free Throw Lane for the Visiting Team, which was clinging to a precarious 2 point lead, to shoot 2 Free Throws.

Just after my Ref Partner bounced the ball to the shooter a player from the Home Team stepped away from the Free Throw Lane spot he had been standing in.

Photo by Grace Adell via Flickr

Immediately a Visiting Team fan starts shouting, "That's a Technical Foul, Ref! Call the 'T'."

The fan's insistence prompted at least 2 other Visiting Team fans to assume that fan knew the rule and they also started hollering for me to call a "T."

They could not have been more wrong in their chorus of demands.....Clearly they did NOT know the correct rule to apply!

Not noticed by the would be "referees" in the stands was, as soon as the Home Team Player stepped out of the Free Throw Lane Spot, I had extended my arm out at shoulder height and balled my hand into a fist. That is the proper Referee "Mechanic" or signal that alerts the other Referee, coaches, players and knowledgeable fans that the Referee has spotted a POTENTIAL Free Throw VIOLATION.

If the Shooter makes the Free Throw the Referee will drop his / her arm and NO Violation has occurred (Since the Free Throw was made.)

Now, what if the Free Throw Attempt is missed, you ask? The Referee will blow his / her whistle, step towards the Free Throw Lane and indicate to the other Referee that a Free Throw Violation has occurred and the Free Throw Shooter will be given another Free Throw attempt.

Is the penalty a Technical Foul, as the fan wanted? NO!!

The only penalty is the Free Throw Shooter is given the ball for a repeat attempt.

That's it!! Just a simple violation, like traveling. NOT a "T."

In this instance, the Visiting Team Player made both Free Throws so obviously no "T" was called. Even so, the fan in the stands kept hollering for a "T" as the ball was in bounded and we headed to the other end of the court. Have you ever heard Bill Engvall's "Here's Your Sign" comedy routine? Hilarious stuff!!

Sometimes, after hearing some of the crazy things I hear fans holler from the stands, I'd like to be able to reach into my back pocket and pull out a "sign" and hand it to whatever fan is inciting his fellow fans to believe he knows the rules better than the Ref's do and say, "Here's your sign".....But that us not a current Referee Mechanic!

If Your Gonna Yell at the Ref, Please Know The RIGHT Rule.