Basketball - legal to yell in opponents' faces?

[Anonymous]

Middle school girls' basketball game. Every time our team would pass in from the sidelines, a girl on the opposing team would get about 2 inches from their face, jumping up and down waving arms and screaming BALL BALL BALL BALL. Refs and coaches didn't react. It was unbelievably obnoxious and she did it over and over. I'm no expert, but I've watched both my kids play casually and have attended a number of UMD women's games and have never seen this behavior. Is it legal? Or should it have been called?

[Anonymous]

Legal. Some teams do it. Annoying AF.

When I played the stuff they whispered was worse.

[Anonymous]

Yes. My daughters have coaches that really emphasize it. The screamer is just indicating that they have the ball. DD's team did that every time they were on defense or defending an inbounds play

[Anonymous]

Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

This is OP - I said I was no expert. But I've been to many games in this age group and have never seen this before. I assume it's a tactic to distract the player who's passing the ball in so they mess up? All it did was make this girl look like an obnoxious fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My daughters have coaches that really emphasize it. The screamer is just indicating that they have the ball. DD's team did that every time they were on defense or defending an inbounds play

I’m not Op but this isn’t what they’re doing. They’re harassing the inbounded by screaming as loud as they can in their face. It’s gimmicky and silly. You don’t see college or high level teams doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My daughters have coaches that really emphasize it. The screamer is just indicating that they have the ball. DD's team did that every time they were on defense or defending an inbounds play

I’m not Op but this isn’t what they’re doing. They’re harassing the inbounded by screaming as loud as they can in their face. It’s gimmicky and silly. You don’t see college or high level teams doing it.

OP here. Exactly. Screamer didn't have the ball. She was trying to distract the player who did have the ball.

[Anonymous]

My daughters have been playing girls basketball since 2nd/3rd grade - this isn’t abnormal. It’s a very physical “in your face” game.

[Anonymous]

If you sit close to the court at a Maryland game, you will hear them say it and a lot more. They do it so everyone is aware where the ball is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

HAHAHHAHAHA - the loud laughing from the stands when this happens in LAX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

This is OP - I said I was no expert. But I've been to many games in this age group and have never seen this before. I assume it's a tactic to distract the player who's passing the ball in so they mess up? All it did was make this girl look like an obnoxious fool.

I’m PP you’re replying to. Look, I’m not trying to be rude but you don’t need to be an expert to have seen this. I’ve coached my kids teams in rec and then they’ve played AAU and now high school ball (girls and boys) and I’ve seen: “I’ve got ball, I’ve got ball” “me me me me me me me” or just random yelling by a defender or even when someone is making a free throw. I’ve also seen hair pulling, tripping, moving screens, a closed fist punch to the face, pushing, jersey grabbing, “you suck” “f you”. And that’s just from the kids.

Parents: “take her out” “push her”…….

And this is in pristine MoCo and Alexandria.

So get ready. Rarely have I seen refs interfere unless it’s profanity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

HAHAHHAHAHA - the loud laughing from the stands when this happens in LAX.

Sure. While you’re also screaming “WHEELS!!!!”

[Anonymous]

There is a big diff. In saying ball and what Op is saying. They literally scream in a kids face. It’s dumb. Of course there is trash talk. Op isn’t talking about that. She or he is talking about the idiotic screaming in an unbounders face. It’s dumb and if your coach supports it they are dumb too. Talk all the junk. But screaming in an inbounders face makes your team look dumb

[Anonymous]

Some coaches tell the player to scream and jump in front of the inbounder. It is distracting and that is the point. Pretty certain the player is coached to do that. Is this a Select team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Just like in lacrosse. Are you new to basketball?

This is OP - I said I was no expert. But I've been to many games in this age group and have never seen this before. I assume it's a tactic to distract the player who's passing the ball in so they mess up? All it did was make this girl look like an obnoxious fool.

I’m PP you’re replying to. Look, I’m not trying to be rude but you don’t need to be an expert to have seen this. I’ve coached my kids teams in rec and then they’ve played AAU and now high school ball (girls and boys) and I’ve seen: “I’ve got ball, I’ve got ball” “me me me me me me me” or just random yelling by a defender or even when someone is making a free throw. I’ve also seen hair pulling, tripping, moving screens, a closed fist punch to the face, pushing, jersey grabbing, “you suck” “f you”. And that’s just from the kids.

Parents: “take her out” “push her”…….

And this is in pristine MoCo and Alexandria.

So get ready. Rarely have I seen refs interfere unless it’s profanity.

The only time that I've seen refs getting involved was a coach screaming at an opposing player. They gave him a tech and then another the second he responded. Have you seen what players on opposing teams say to players shooting fouls? LeBron telling Arenas that he was going to miss inspired generations of AAU players.