Player Communication and Sportsmanship
Comments about this discussion:
Started
At Unicon 21 in Minnesota, there were reports of teams getting called for technical fouls due to yelling the word 'shot' when the opponent shot the basketball. We could not point to a rule in the book that referenced this type of violation. Does the rule book currently state what can/can't be said and when?
Is there momentum to create a rule prohibiting shouting while the other team is shooting? Should this be deemed unsportsmanlike?
Calling out the opponent's shot is a normal form of good communication to teammates. I believe only vulgar language should be prohibited and not benign words simply due to timing.
If we think this was a one-off use of technical fouls that does not need to be codified for the future, I understand and am fine with disregarding this discussion.
Comment
I think you can definitely find ground for that in here (FIBA rules, which our rules are based on):
"36.1.2 Each team shall do its best to secure victory, but this must be done in the spirit of
sportsmanship and fair play."
=> this is ground for the ref to consider this behavior as not fair play, and after a warning, give a technical foul.
It is definitely up to the ref to interpret what's correct communication, with good intention, and what is not. I would not amend the FIBA rule on that.
Comment
Under FIBA rules, calling "Shot", "Switch" , "Screen" or other communications with the other defensive players are all allowed. The only things that would be unsportsmanlike are either making a call like Foul/Out and mimicing a ref or agressively yelling at another player. While it is up to the ref to make these calls, the refs should understand the rules and not take unreasonable interpretations.
Comment
I was not there, so I can not comment on "unreasonable interpretation". The shouting might have been judged as excessive. As a ref, I would call a foul, (or warn the player) if I judged the intention was to bother the shooter and not inform my teammates.
Comment
In 36.2.1, there is also "Baiting and taunting an opponent.".
The issue is that yelling during a shoot may be disturbing for the shooter (I remember having being disturbed, at UNICON 20 I guess). If the yelling is indeed intended to disturb the shooter, then it is a technical foul. If the intention is clearly to inform teammates, it should not be a technical foul. However, the distinction between the two cases is thin, especially when the player yelling "shoot" is the one defending on the shooter and thus very close to the shooter (and I admit that this player is the best placed to announce the shoot).
As a ref, if I see that there are no harmful intentions but it nevertheless disturbs the shooters, I can imagine I could:
- inform the "offended" team that this is legal communication, and/or
- ask the "offending" team to delay the yelling by the closest player after the ball leaves the hands.
I would not change the rules on that matter.