Update on the Technical Foul rule

[ace3g]

ChrisMannixSI

The NBA's 'Rasheed Wallace Rule' (my label) will be in place this season. Refs will call techs on 'overt acts in reply to call/non-call'

ChrisMannixSI

What that boils down to is that overly demonstrative players will be hit with technicals quicker for reacting to a call they don't like.

ChrisMannixSI

League officials showed media in NY video of what is likely to be called a tech. Suffice it to say, a lot of players will be racking them up

ChrisMannixSI

It will be interesting to see how NBA's elite (Kobe, LeBron) are affected. Both can be very demonstrative and refs are now supposed to T 'em

ChrisMannixSI

League says they are doing this because they have received complaints from fans about the amount of complaining going on in games.

[Chieflion]

Nothing is actually changed. Kobe was T'd up a lot last season too.

[rvman21]

This is horrible for the NBA, if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it. The NFL has been implementing rules like this for years and it has done nothing for the leauge, (no spiking, no excessive celebration etc)

[duncan228]

What foul???

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/lead/leadpalmsup.jpg

[ElNono]

Terrible ruling... players are emotionally invested in the game, so it's natural that they're going to have instant reactions to some calls/non-calls.

I can understand getting T'ed up for saying some expletive or tossing a ball to the public, but this is retarded. What do they want from players? To be robots?

Also, anybody else catch the irony of alleged 'fans' complaining too much about the players complaining too much?

[MannyIsGod]

They come out with shit like this almost every year. It gets enforced for about a month then its back to status quo.

[Obstructed_View]

They come out with shit like this almost every year. It gets enforced for about a month then its back to status quo.

That's the worst part. If they'd just stick with it the problem would go away really fast, but they never have. Since it resets in the playoffs they might as well start getting the players under control. And it's not about emotion, it's about being a crybaby. You control what you have control over. I got a technical foul once for asking a ref if he was sure I'd travelled. My coach was really pissed at me for even opening my mouth. I only did it because I was pissed off and I paid the price for it. Lesson learned.

[Jose Ole]

Basketball is an emotional game. Everyone from coaches to super stars to the 12th men yell, make gestures, glance at the ref...

and sometimes do absolutely nothing:

kOygTd1NWCM

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah, how can players be expected to contain their emotions? :rolleyes
UVvw2MS_ztg
kWGvp0sTjNo

[ace3g]

ESPN espn

NBA expands guidelines on calling technical fouls; cracks down on complaining - http://tinyurl.com/2cjf8sa

[elbamba]

Stupid rule. Its fun to see the passion and emotion. Excessive complaining they can crack down on. Are they really going to call a tech to decide a game if someone complains?

[Chomag]

I would much rather see them go after flopping then complaining but whatever.

[Obstructed_View]

Stupid rule. Its fun to see the passion and emotion. Excessive complaining they can crack down on. Are they really going to call a tech to decide a game if someone complains?

Passion and emotion have nothing to do with what they're going to crack down on.

[EricB]

I actually agree with obstructed.


The constant bitching at officials and childish antics are fucking annoying.

Take the foul like a man, STFU, and play smarter.

[Flux451]

Yeah, how can players be expected to contain their emotions? :rolleyes
UVvw2MS_ztg


dude, thank you for that. Nash gestures are timeless

[Ditty]

This is not good for duncan he complains a bit they same for kobe also but I don't know why fans are bragging about if they have ever played basketball before or understand the game could get emotional in close games if bad calls are called to change the game

[carina_gino20]

so they basically validated Joey Crawford's two T's on Timmy three years ago, which everybody knows is BS.

Besides, how overt is overt to earn a technical?

[Venti Quattro]

shit, kobe's going to be suspended at least 5 games this season

[K-State Spur]

This is horrible for the NBA, if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it. The NFL has been implementing rules like this for years and it has done nothing for the leauge, (no spiking, no excessive celebration etc)

To some extent, it is broke though.

We don't particularly care, but we're already fans. But there are a lot of fans who love the college game and hate the NBA - even though it is played at a higher level. One of the biggest complaints I hear from that group is the constant whining that goes on in-game.

David Robinson was the kind of player where - if he reacted - you could usually bet the official got it wrong. But now, you'll see guys like Kobe and Rasheed and even Tim & Manu throw up their hands in surprise after CLEARLY committing fouls.

[Bruno]

Showing emotions is fine and shouldn't be sanctioned but whining to the refs should be.

Referees' job isn't easy and NBA refs are very good. As every human being, they makes mistakes but players had to deal with that instead of whining after each call they don't like.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

You know something's bullshit when words like 'overly demonstrative' are used, it's about as vague as it gets and sets the floor for interpretation. Hmm LeBron is demonstrative, that's OK, but that little prick < insert_random_roleplayer_here> is soo overly demonstrative! Bang T'd!

[Trill Clinton]

This rule sucks. It's all subjective and it gives the ref's too much control over the game.

[Fabbs]

How will he make it thru 5 minutes of any game?
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:3eiu60MSypf7hM:http://www.blackfives.com/blog_pics/kobe_pouting.jpg&t=1
Oh that's right. Two sets of rules.

[Crookshanks]

This rule sucks. It's all subjective and it gives the ref's too much control over the game.
I agree. And everybody knows that superstars like Kobe and Lebron will get away with much more than other players. It's a stupid decision - some of these games get really intense, and you can't expect the players to be emotionless.

[Ditty]

I wish they gave kobe a technical after every stupid ass grin he does after making a basket

[romsho]

This rule sucks. It's all subjective and it gives the ref's too much control over the game.

If another "rogue" official got loose, think this rule might make it a little easier to point shave or control the outcome of a game? For a league that just went through the Donaghy scandal, the deciaion to allow officials to arbitrarily drop technicals with no real structure is beyond ignorant. Nice going Stern...you've basically left the game fixing key under the doormat.

[duncan228]

:lol SI.com is using Duncan on the front page for their story.

Disaster in the making: NBA to penalize players' reactions to refs (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/?eref=sinav)
Ian Thomsen
SI.com

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/ian_thomsen/09/24/technicals/index.html

Will a young referee be willing to hit top players, like Tim Duncan, with a technical every time he questions a call?

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/lead/leadfoul.jpg

[duncan228]

So is ESPN. :lol

Seven technical thoughts (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/20021/seven-technical-thoughts)
By Henry Abbott

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/20021/seven-technical-thoughts

This kind of complaining has been rubbing people the wrong way.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x282/duncan228/lead/leadfoul2.jpg

[diego]

while i agree that there is too much whining in general, i dislike the way the NBA adds rules every season (like someone mentioned, only to ignore them a couple months in), and I dislike the fact that it is such a vague rule that it has a 99% probability of being abused depending on the player's rep. The only this can work IMO is if you are ultra strict, like if you T up any response that goes beyond asking for a clarification between free throws. anything short of that and we'll get the same as before, with a few arbitrary Ts thrown in.

[Obstructed_View]

Go back and watch Duncan in 2001. When he gets called for a foul he doesn't even look at the ref. I think the Spurs started to turn into crybabies when five oh left. I'd be surprised if Duncan gets more than one tech in the first month of the season. He'll just read the rules and adapt.

[Obstructed_View]

And anybody who says that kind of shit is "part of basketball at any level" clearly hasn't played basketball at any level.

[J_Paco]

I don't like the rule because it leaves too much room for interpretation and because lesser status players will eventually be singled out more. If it can curtail players from screaming "Oh, Shit" or "That's a Foul" (Timmy favorite line) or even grunting or screaming to try and get a call then it's an improvement. I just worry these referees are too subjective and will pick on certain players.

Edit: Apparently this rule will only pertain to emotional reactions toward foul calls and non-calls. Why not rid the game of over-exaggeration of contact through physical and verbal reaction? That shit definitely bothers me more when Duncan, Bryant or LeBron do it.

[GSH]

The league should put more effort into getting their personal foul calls consistent. Instead, they made up new guidelines for technical fouls that are going to be just as arbitrary as charge/block, travelling, or lane violations are already.

All this means is that any time a player irritates you, drop a T on them. The rest of the time, from every other player, let the same shit go.

[MannyIsGod]

Go back and watch Duncan in 2001. When he gets called for a foul he doesn't even look at the ref. I think the Spurs started to turn into crybabies when five oh left. I'd be surprised if Duncan gets more than one tech in the first month of the season. He'll just read the rules and adapt.


I agree that Duncan early in his career was much less of a cry baby. And yeah, Timmy today is a fucking cry baby and there is no way around it.

I don't think it had anything to do with Robinson, however. I think Timmy got a rep of being stoic and complained a few times and got tangible results. He saw that it worked and kept using it.

Its pretty crazy how when Duncan came into the league he was known as one of the less emotional players in the game - I remember articles about stoicism in reference to him - and now he's known as a cry baby. Its detracted from his game, IMO.

[J_Paco]

I agree that Duncan early in his career was much less of a cry baby. And yeah, Timmy today is a fucking cry baby and there is no way around it.

I don't think it had anything to do with Robinson, however. I think Timmy got a rep of being stoic and complained a few times and got tangible results. He saw that it worked and kept using it.

Its pretty crazy how when Duncan came into the league he was known as one of the less emotional players in the game - I remember articles about stoicism in reference to him - and now he's known as a cry baby. Its detracted from his game, IMO.


It's annoying and childish at times, especially how the Crawford incident escalated. It does seem to take him out of the game mentally at times. The irony is that many still consider him as a robot, but he whines and complains with the best of them. I believe he's slowed down with the complaining a little, but he still can overact to calls. Hopefully, this enforcement will make him readjust his approach and Manu as well.

[Libri]

They come out with shit like this almost every year. It gets enforced for about a month then its back to status quo.

Yes, I don't think much will change. They're just telling fans what they want to hear.

[duncan228]

Manu joins Duncan on this list.

NBA's Notorious Whiners (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1009/nba.complainers/content.2.html)
SI.com Photo Gallery

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1009/nba.complainers/content.2.html

Tim Duncan
A four-time NBA champion, Duncan is known for his quiet and unassuming ways on the court. Unfortunately, he's also known for complaining about calls.

Manu Ginobili
The Spurs' sixth man has mastered the art of whining without getting caught: He received only one technical last season, which was later rescinded after league review.

*********************

The rest of the whiners.

Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Paul Pierce
Kendrick Perkins
Ray Allen
Josh Smith
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard
Amar'e Stoudemire

[DesignatedT]

Go back and watch Duncan in 2001. When he gets called for a foul he doesn't even look at the ref. I think the Spurs started to turn into crybabies when five oh left. I'd be surprised if Duncan gets more than one tech in the first month of the season. He'll just read the rules and adapt.

That has everything to do with him being a "veteran" in this league and being used to getting those calls in the past that he feels the NBA is no longer giving him. When the officiating is so inconsistent from year to year you are going to have players who think " I got this call every game last year (or the past 10 years of my career) and now all of a sudden I'm not". It's just as much the NBA's fault than it is the players.

That type of attitude also comes from winning championships. Kobe and Phil Jackson are the same way.

[DesignatedT]

I have never seen Manu consistently complain about officiating calls.