Naive Basketball question

**AmberLee** · 10-26-2003, 01:53 PM

Hi all,

I am NOT a sports fan, and it is causing me a little difficulty with a murder mystery I'm reading now.

The coach and a player on a basketball team (the star of which was recently murdered) are reported as having been 'drawn a technical' in one of the games*. From the context, I'm guessing that they've been fined for being obnoxious/disruptive to the game. Is there more to it than this? (I may be following a red herring, but suspect there's a clue to the mystery somewhere in this "newspaper" report of the game...)

Thanks for any info you can shed.

*It's a high school team and they were expected to go to state-wide competition due to the skills of the murdered player, apparently. The team is surviving but not thriving after the murder... [For what it's worth, so far it's a fun series with a wanna-be cat-loving private eye set in Cincinnati, OH... Title: "Two points for Murder" and the author's D. B. Borton. First title in series was One for the Money, about the murder of two bag ladies.]

**Shelteez2** · 10-26-2003, 01:57 PM

It's been awhile since I've done anything basketball related (ie watched or played it) but I believe they are referring to a foul.
A coach or player can get a foul for the reasons you stated, or doing something like yelling at the referee and questioning his call. I'm not sure if there would be a fine involved or not, especially at high school level.

**Moose** · 10-26-2003, 01:58 PM

Yeah, you've pretty much hit it right on. Basically, the coach [or player] has done something completely out of line. I may not be explaining this perfectly, even making sense; It's been awhile since I last played basketball. Anyone else can feel free to add.

**Edwina's Secretary** · 10-26-2003, 02:02 PM

A technical foul is, as explained, when a coach or player behaves in an unacceptable manner...as described. Usually the penalty is the other team gets to shoot a free throw basket or gets the ball. If severe enough a technical foul can mean ejection from the game.

**AmberLee** · 10-26-2003, 02:05 PM

A-Ha! Thanks all! I appreciate your help {{{hugs}}}

(Since I'm fixating on this, it'll probably not be a pivotal point in the mystery, but you never can tell.)

**tomkatzid** · 10-26-2003, 02:10 PM

You can get a "technical" foul for alot of reasons I suppose, but it usually involves arguing a referees call, such as a normal foul is called on a player, he gets in the refs face and argues the call excessively, he gets a "T", or technical foul, in which case an extra foul shot is awarded, usually to be shot by the best foul shooter on the floor at the time. If another player, either on the floor or a player or coach on the bench argues the same way, they can also get T'd up. If you get two technicals you are gone, you not only leave the game but have to go to the locker room. Sometimes a coach will really go off and get a double technical, this is usually done to get your team fired up when they are losing, seldom do you see a "T" when the team is ahead.....probably more than any of you really wanted to know about this subject, but you asked

......tom