Putting the ball on the court at the end of a game

[HuskyNan]

I think it might be a thing players are doing. I caught the end of the Villanova-Georgetown men’s game before the UConn men’s game. Villanova had a big lead and so dribbled out the shot clock as the game wound to a close. With about 3 seconds left in the game, the player with the ball put it down on the court and walked off.

I’m bringing this up because there was a minor kerfuffle in the post game thread after the Marquette game when Nika put the ball on the court in the same way as the player in the Villanova game. It appears to be a basketball thing, not a Nika thing.

 

[hoopsfan22]

There's no reason not to continue dribbling until the game is over and then hand the ball to the ref as you walk off the court. Anything else is a technical foul waiting to happen. All it takes is some ref to misinterpret anything other than dribbling out the clock as unsportsmanlike or taunting.

 

[MSGRET]

I've seen it done on both the men's and women's games. Nearly every time it was with the clock running out and the team that did it had a huge lead.

 

[MSGRET]

There's no reason not to continue dribbling until the game is over and then hand the ball to the ref as you walk off the court. Anything else is a technical foul waiting to happen. All it takes is some ref to misinterpret anything other than dribbling out the clock as unsportsmanlike or taunting.

How can it be considered unsportsmanlike or taunting, the only thing they are doing is putting the ball on the court and walking away.

 

[hoopsfan22]

How can it be considered unsportsmanlike or taunting, the only thing they are doing is putting the ball on the court and walking away.

The same as any class A technical which are mainly subjective unlike class B or administrative fouls.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

The same as any class A technical which are mainly subjective unlike class B or administrative fouls.

There is nothing in the rules against walking away from the basketball. Are turnovers now a technical foul risk?

 

[MSGRET]

The same as any class A technical which are mainly subjective unlike class B or administrative fouls.

Still haven't answered the question? This has been done in both the men's and women's games over the past two years and I have yet to see any technical's called.

 

[LoboDays]

Regardless of a players intentions, it’s just a silly thing to do and could cause some bad feelings. Surprised Geno/CD would allow it.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Still haven't answered the question? This has been done in both the men's and women's games over the past two years and I have yet to see any technical's called.

One ref's "putting the ball on the court" is another's unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting/showing the other team up. There is no good reason to do it. You can still get T'd up even after the game is over if the ref doesn't like your behavior as happened the other night in a women's game.

Regardless of a players intentions, it’s just a silly thing to do and could cause some bad feelings. Surprised Geno/CD would allow it.

Same given the multitude of other "CD rules [of conduct]" that they have.

 

[Carnac]

This is something new that is catching on around college and probbly HS basketball. The head coaches will control it. Either they will allow it or they won't. As I shared in another thread, I'm old school. That is not how we were taught to play the game. I played for three coaches. 1 HS, 2 in college. All three would have gone ballistic if one of their players did that. That player probably would have been benched for the next game. We we always taught to respect the game, and don't cheat it.

But that was 50 years ago. Things, perceptions and people change. We played in tight short shorts and Chuck Taylor shoes. Nike, Addidas and Puma had not been invented yet. Since basketball has been played the styles and brands have changed from decade to decade. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, Converse was the dominant shoe in the league, during this era the NBA was all about legends Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain. Few people today know that the “Chuck” is truly a basketball shoe. THIS is the shoe I played in. This was all we had at the time.

We played with only 2 referees. The 3 point line was about 25 years in the future. There were no girl's HS sports teams in the mid-60's in metropolitan L.A. All male sports teams....football, basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, etc. My college did not have any intercolligiete women's sports teams either. See how much things have changed in the last 50 years. I don't like it, but I can live with it. It won't keep me up at night. It will only continue if the coaches allow it.

 

[Carnac]

Still haven't answered the question? This has been done in both the men's and women's games over the past two years and I have yet to see any technical's called.

Serg, I think like the "Euro-step", this may become a "norm" that is here to stay.

 

[Blond D.]

When I played in High school I always just set the ball on the court when we won big. I could care less if the other team didnt like it. I was kinda like Nika, I didnt like the other team or anyone associated with it until way after the game was over and I had left the gym.

 

[stamfordhusky]

The same as any class A technical which are mainly subjective unlike class B or administrative fouls.

Theoretically a referee can call a technical foul for anything, even looking cross-eyed at a spectator in the back row. But they don’t.

I don’t know of anyone who has ever seen or heard of a technical foul called on a player for placing the ball on the floor, and I imagine any referee who called a technical foul for that would be reprimanded.

Can you cite even one incident of a technical foul being called for this? I would bet that it has never happened, and it is unlikely it ever will.

 

[sun]

I wouldn't mind it if the NCAA passed a rule stating that intentionally placing the ball on the floor or throwing it up into the air during the last minute of a game before the clock expires creates an automatic turnover.

The reason being that it can be considered to be intentionally provocative which can quickly lead to loose ball fouls and injuries to players.

If the player isn't being provocative then why don't they just hand the ball over to the defense and give them possession so they can try to score in the last few seconds?

 

[MSGRET]

I wouldn't mind it if the NCAA passed a rule stating that intentionally placing the ball on the floor or throwing it up into the air during the last minute of a game before the clock expires creates an automatic turnover.

The reason being that it can be considered to be intentionally provocative which can quickly lead to loose ball fouls and injuries to players.

If the player isn't being provocative then why don't they just hand the ball over to the defense and give them possession so they can try to score in the last few seconds?

Maybe because it would a turnover and go against the players and teams turnover count.

 

[stamfordhusky]

I wouldn't mind it if the NCAA passed a rule stating that intentionally placing the ball on the floor or throwing it up into the air during the last minute of a game before the clock expires creates an automatic turnover.

The reason being that it can be considered to be intentionally provocative which can quickly lead to loose ball fouls and injuries to players.

If the player isn't being provocative then why don't they just hand the ball over to the defense and give them possession so they can try to score in the last few seconds?

Over the years, there have been a number of times in the final seconds of a game where a player on a team ahead by a couple of points deliberately threw the ball high into the air to run out the rest of the clock. You would want that player to get a technical foul?

As for placing the ball on the floor, I doubt there are any players in today’s game who consider that at all provocative.

 

[Cuango]

How can it be considered unsportsmanlike or taunting, the only thing they are doing is putting the ball on the court and walking away.

I too am curious as to why this would be a reason for a technical or hard feelings? I don’t get it. For that matter, why is it a silly thing to do?

 

[Carnac]

I too am curious as to why this would be a reason for a technical or hard feelings? I don’t get it. For that matter, why is it a silly thing to do?

As I said in my narrative Cuango, people can look at a play and see it differently. In pro football, a player can score a touchdown and then throw the football at the opposing team’s logo behind the end zone, or punch the goalpost stanchion that has the home team’s logo on it. Remember Billy “white-shoes” Johnson?

Some fans see that as an innocent act of celebration, others see it as an act of defiance and disrespect. There are more players in the league like Terrell Owens who was obsessed with making a display of emotion every time he scored. That’s who he was.

Barry Sanders scored as many if not more touchdowns as Owens. Not once did he ever spike the ball or do anything after crossing the goal line but toss the ball to the referee and return to his bench. No dancing, no gyrations, no posing for pictures with teammates. That’s who he was. Perception, you either liked Owens, or you thought he was a hotdog and a show-off.

 

[Forego]

I wouldn't mind it if the NCAA passed a rule stating that intentionally placing the ball on the floor or throwing it up into the air during the last minute of a game before the clock expires creates an automatic turnover.

The reason being that it can be considered to be intentionally provocative which can quickly lead to loose ball fouls and injuries to players.

If the player isn't being provocative then why don't they just hand the ball over to the defense and give them possession so they can try to score in the last few seconds?

So, the team with the ball should intentionally try to run up the score instead? How about dunking the ball just before the final buzzer to put an explanation point on the victory. Nothing like pouring salt on the wound.

Personally, I don’t need to watch the point guard dribble out the clock. The opponents have stopped playing, why should the team that is ahead continue to dribble the ball?

 

[PacoSwede]

I wouldn't mind it if the NCAA passed a rule stating that intentionally placing the ball on the floor or throwing it up into the air during the last minute of a game before the clock expires creates an automatic turnover.

The reason being that it can be considered to be intentionally provocative which can quickly lead to loose ball fouls and injuries to players.

If the player isn't being provocative then why don't they just hand the ball over to the defense and give them possession so they can try to score in the last few seconds?

holy crap! must we have rules about everything.

talk about creeping authoritarianism. yikes.

 

[Bone Dog]

The first time I saw this practice I didn’t like it. That was just a visceral reaction, and I couldn’t have given much of an explanation for why I’d didn’t like it. The whole thing is utterly trivial. I suppose it could be done in such a way as to appear disrespectful to… the game, the refs, the other team, etc. But I don’t think Nika has anything like this in mind. She can’t hand it to the refs until time has run out. She can dribble the clock out or she can do this.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

My 2 cents.

• If the refs (of a particular game) want the ball handed to them, then inform the teams PRIOR to the game. There is no rule against placing the ball on the floor...regardless of intent.
• I've seen similar actions by players during the game where they don't directly give the ball to the ref usually in a non-verbal protest against a call. Or they will roll it back in the general direction of the ref or barely roll or toss it. I'm sure there has been a tender ego or two that has T'd up the player. IMO...if there is no clear rule or it's a subjective ruling....issue a warning first.
• I have interpreted players putting the ball down on the floor (at the game's end) as a sportsman-like gesture...we're done attacking. The game is over. If you want the ball...you can have it. I have seen incidents where the losing team is trying to take the ball aggressively with seconds left...no chance in hades of winning...and unnecessary contact occurs.

 

[Millenial23]

Even if a technical or otherwise foul were called with a few seconds left in a game which was already won, what would it matter? So the other team gets a point or two. It would be kinda dumb, but no big deal. Personally, it seems sportsman-like, not to run up the score when you've already won.

 

[OldSchooler]

Over the years, there have been a number of times in the final seconds of a game where a player on a team ahead by a couple of points deliberately threw the ball high into the air to run out the rest of the clock. You would want that player to get a technical foul?

As for placing the ball on the floor, I doubt there are any players in today’s game who consider that at all provocative.

Bob Cousy did this in the final seconds of Game 7 of the 1957 NBA finals against the Hawks. At the time, it was considered a brilliant move, unusual, but typical for him.

As to why UConn players do this, it is definitely not unsportsmanlike; rather, it shows respect for the other team. Some teams would go for an extra score in the waning seconds, even if the outcome is not on the line. UConn won't, even if they have 98 points, or somebody needs a score for a double-double. Most refs will allow the walkoff, just as they allow both teams onto the field in the final seconds of a football game when the losing team an no longer stop the clock;.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Illegal no. Impolite yes. Dribble out the clock and had the ball to the ref with respect. Don't leave it on the court like so much garbage for the ref to clean up. To me it says. "I'm too cool to be courteous", and I think that attitude is beneath UConn players.