NBA expands rules on technicals (Merged)

[twinbree]

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

[thirstyboots18]

Thanks for posting, Twinbree.  If expressions are worthy of technical fouls.....and if this is a fair judgement....Kobe should be the first suspension, LeBron the second.  They came up with this by talking to Fans?  Where did they find those two fans?  In a poker game, or in the Referee's locker room?

 I am borderline furious now...almost to the point of finding another sport to follow...Someone sure knows how to take the "competition" out of "sport".

And to think...only yesterday I was excited for the season to start.  You can't see it, but I am thinking banned language.

[jarufu]

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

That's a T for you, sir 

[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" 

[Kwhit10]

This is not going to end well...

Tim Duncan will get 16 T's (yes I know 2 T's and you're out of the game  ) in one game with all the facial expressions he makes.

[GreenFaith1819]

My only thing here is that as long as it's applied fairly. Like TB stated, this should mean that Lebron and Kobe will get T'd up at a good rate, too.

We'll see, right?

[screwedupmaniac]

I hate these increasing powers that refs are getting over the outcome of games. I go to see my favorite superstars play the game, not to see refs with huge egos(Joey Crawford, Bennet Salvatore, etc.) attempt to fix the outcome of a game according to what they feel or think.

[thirstyboots18]

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.  

[gift]

i wonder if this research takes into account that fans will hate almost anything about 90% of opposing players.  i don't think this is truly indicative of what the fans want, but is more of an example of how the fans experience the sport.  of course, i haven't seen the research, but i'm guessing that there's not a major outcry against faces and gestures.  rather when asked what bothers them about players in the league, they pick up on characteristics and actions of people they dislike. since faces, gestures and complaining about calls are so prevalent, the answers will invariably include those as common complaints.  yet, i hardly think fans want more techs called on the players they like, even if they behave the same way.

my other thought is that this is so difficult to enforce that it will lead to even more inequities in the treatment of players.  why should referees, who have difficulties getting fooled by "flops", be interpreting body language?

[moiso]

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.

[footey]

Bad news for us. Silver lining: Perk and Sheed won't be around at least for the first few months.

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

[fairweatherfan]

They said the same thing a few years ago, and then had to dial it back almost immediately after the refs started calling mass amounts of borderline Ts.  I'd expect about the same thing this time.

[MattG12]

TERRIBLE!

[Witch-King]

Bad news for us. Silver lining: Perk and Sheed won't be around at least for the first few months.

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

I think those regulations are sort of extreme, I mean you can't expect a professional athlete, while in the heat of a close game with all of that adrenaline flowing to not react with any sort of emotion if he feels that a ref miss-judged the situation.

Either way, if players end up getting too many T's and the natural flow of the game is compromised as a result (players foul out early, have to sit early because of too many fouls or are suspended and can neither help nor lead their team) then the quality of actual games may suffer.

Lol, the same people who complain that the playoffs aren't 'physical' enough are the ones who would rather tack on a bunch of extra fouls to players who react emotionally in a competitive game. This is probably the reason why the Lakers were awarded 21 free throws in the 4th quarter of game 7 of the finals.

If the games aren't interesting to watch then the NBA might lose some viewers...bring Rasheed back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA

[Rondo2287]

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.