NBA expands rules on technicals (Merged)

[Coach]

The NBA is citing fan preference for enforcing the techs this way.  What they don't seem to understand, that while all NBA fans don't like whining, what they like even worse, is a coward ref hiding his incompetence by handing out techs.

As well, the flow of the game gets slowed down and we also have the stupid, 15 (or what ever the number is) techs and you are suspended rule.  That's what NBA fans want, players not playing due to cowardly refs.

Wake up NBA...the problem is with the refs, not the players!!!!

[Coach]

This kinda stuff really makes me mad.  Instead of fixing the problem, we are just going to penalize people for reacting to the problem and pointing it out.  All you are really doing here is putting a bandaid on a broken bone, its pointless, doesnt do anything, but looks like your trying.

Totally agree!

[nba is the worst]

I can't imagine fans are clamoring for more Ts. One can only hope these rules will be consistently applied. Even with Perk missing half the season, I see him easily picking up 16 Ts. Looks like Sheed retired in the knick of time 

NBA referees will have more reasons to issue technical fouls next season.

At the referees' annual meeting in Jersey City, N.J., on Thursday, the league announced the guidelines for technical fouls will expand to include "overt" player reactions to referee calls.

Referees have been instructed to call a technical for:

• Players making aggressive gestures, such as air punches, anywhere on the court.

• Demonstrative disagreement, such as when a player incredulously raises his hands, or smacks his own arm to demonstrate how he was fouled.

• Running directly at an official to complain about a call.

• Excessive inquiries about a call, even in a civilized tone.

In addition, referees have been instructed to consider calling technicals on players who use body language to question or demonstrate displeasure, or say things like, "Come on!" They can also consider technicals for players who "take the long path to the official", walking across the court to make their case.

Ron Johnson, the NBA's senior vice president of referee operations, said audience research was a major factor behind the change.

"Our players are more personally connected to fans than any other sports," Johnson said. "We don't have masks. ... There's nothing you can hide on the expression of an NBA players. ... People expect hockey players to be fighting. They expect baseball managers to be kicking dirt on umpires. But that's not our game. That's not what our fans want. They tell us in many many ways and I think we have to adjust to meet the needs of our league and our fans. It's a business."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5609817

Couldn't have said it better - it's clear to everyone that calling NBA officiating "inconsistent" is the BEST that can be said about it, so human reactions to it CANNOT BE TOLERATED.

Poor Perk is gonna get T'd in pregame warmups...

[wdleehi]

Lets take all emotion out of the players when something bad happens.



What is next?


Getting T'ed up for smiling when your teammates hits a three?

[Cman]

They tried to do something like this in the past, as I recall.  I remember a few years back watching early season games and techs were being handed out left and right to scrub players for looking askance at the refs.

Of course, players like LBJ and Kobe can make all the whacky "what, you kidding me?" faces they want and get away with it. 

[thirstyboots18]

You can't see it, but I am thinking banned language.

That's a T for you, sir 

And one for you for calling her "sir" 

It isn't being called "sir" that bothers me, it is the "T", ha ha ha

[ACF]

You can't see it, but I am thinking banned language.

That's a T for you, sir 

And one for you for calling her "sir" 

It isn't being called "sir" that bothers me, it is the "T", ha ha ha

Here, have some coffee instead.

(I know, bad joke but had to do it)

[jarufu]

You can't see it, but I am thinking banned language.

That's a T for you, sir 

And one for you for calling her "sir" 

It isn't being called "sir" that bothers me, it is the "T", ha ha ha

I'm giving myself another T and escorting myself from the court with my head hanging in shame .. 

[kozlodoev]

What the game of Basketball needs is....another layer of referees to ref the refs, if you get my meaning.  The inmates seem to be taking over the asylum.  

This has actually been tried in soccer. Doesn't work.

[ACF]

What the game of Basketball needs is....another layer of referees to ref the refs, if you get my meaning.  The inmates seem to be taking over the asylum.  

This has actually been tried in soccer.

Please elaborate.

[Spilling Green Dye]

This kinda stuff really makes me mad.  Instead of fixing the problem, we are just going to penalize people for reacting to the problem and pointing it out.  All you are really doing here is putting a bandaid on a broken bone, its pointless, doesnt do anything, but looks like your trying.

Totally agree!

I'm in full agreement too.  And the thing I think fans want back most in the game is the emotional aspect.  These new regulations will further take all emotion out of the game.

And do you guys really think they will implement this for the likes of LBJ or Kobe?  Ha!  I guarantee they won't, especially not to the extent that it'd remove a player from the game.

[indeedproceed]

If they turn the NBA into the No Fun League clone, they'll be sorry.

If the NFL is McDonalds, the NBA is Sonics. Sure, more people go to McDonalds, but for people who know what Sonics actually brings to the table, there isn't really even a choice.

[jdub1660]

OKay, lets see where to disagree on these new calls..

Air punches any where on the court? So players do this to show excitement on a good play, so how would you call a tech for that on a bad play? Pierce would have been ejected for that knockout of that referee if it was this year

Raising arms "incredulously" or hitting their arm to argue a foul? So every player not named DWADE,LEBRON, and KOBE will get hit with this call

Running directly at an official to argue a call? GREAT ADDITION! This one I fully support since I wanted to donkey kick LeBron every time he argued a call by doing this and making that ugly cry baby face

Excessive inquiries about a call, even in a civilized tone. I am 50/50 on this one b/c I do think that arguing a call 2 or more plays ago is just whining(KOBE/LEBRON)

Player makes gestures like "come on"? Eh, I could see where this could get old b/c it sometimes sounds like a whiny player
when they don't get a call, yell about, and run back down the court rolling their eyes(oh yea LEBRON)


My Biggest complaint about all this is they want player to never disagree calls and show no negative emotions, but stay competitive. The whole Tim Donaghe situation wasn't that long ago, and some calls are very obvious. Thats also why they should allow refs to argue and change calls more b/c 2 refs might see something the 1st one didn't. MORE REPLAYS PLEASE.
I see the positive goal to this of making this sport an obvious Sportsman like model, but there's more stuff that has to go. How many times in a game does a player last touch the ball out of bounds, and admits to it, rather than pointing at the other team? NEVER

[kozlodoev]

What the game of Basketball needs is....another layer of referees to ref the refs, if you get my meaning.  The inmates seem to be taking over the asylum.  

This has actually been tried in soccer.

Please elaborate.

In Bulgaria, at least, the football federation delegates a person to each game. The said person observes the game and, among other things, evaluates the referees. Or should I say "grades", because they're literally assigning a 1 to 10 grade on the performance of the refs, which can affect future appointments.

This tends to have zero effect on the quality of refereeing.

[BballTim]

What the game of Basketball needs is....another layer of referees to ref the refs, if you get my meaning.  The inmates seem to be taking over the asylum.  

This actually seems like a good idea to me.  Have a supervisor ref sitting courtside and have the refs huddle with him during timeouts and between quarters.  Or have someone watching from another location on television and have that person comunicate with the referee team during breaks in the action. 

Why wait until a game is over for the refs to receive feedback?  This makes perfect sense.

  As a concept, it makes very little sense. Having officials change the way they ref from quarter to quarter (or timeout to timeout) will cause much more harm than good. Players will never be able to get a feel for how the game is being called, how much contact is allowed or the like.