If you’ve ever attended a basketball game, chances are you’ve heard the crowd yell:
“T him up!” or “That’s a technical!”
What these fans are yelling about is a technical foul.
While this type of foul isn’t necessarily super common, it does occur enough that it’s important coaches, players, and fans alike understand what it is.
This post will detail what a technical foul is, what situations cause it, what the penalty is, and different records for technical fouls.
What is a Technical Foul in Basketball?
While a common foul in basketball is typically due to illegal contact, and a flagrant foul is called due to excessive contact, a technical foul is much different.
A technical foul is typically whistled for a rules infraction that doesn’t involve any physical contact between players during live play, and can even be called on someone NOT on the court at all.
A technical foul can be called on a player, the bench, a coach, or even the entire crowd.
According to the rules of basketball, there are many different kinds of technical fouls. These fouls can be categorized as administrative, unsportsmanlike, bench, player, fighting, or double, to name some of them.
While all of these technicals have the same penalty, the situations that cause them vary greatly.
What Situations Might Warrant a Technical Foul?
There are many different actions coaches can do that might warrant receiving a technical foul:
- Calling a timeout when his team does not have any more left.
- Not having starters marked or having the wrong number written down for a player in the scorebook.
- Having too many players on the floor while play is going on.
- Using electronic devices for playback during a game.
- Leaving the coaching box while play is going on.
- Unsporting acts or conduct toward an official or opponent.
There are even more ways for a player to receive a technical foul:
- Baiting or taunting an opponent.
- Disrespectfully addressing or contacting an official.
- Flopping.
- Fighting or threatening to fight.
- Goaltending a free throw.
- Hanging on the rim.
- Intentionally kicking a basketball at any time.
A team can also receive a technical foul in the NBA for defensive 3 seconds. This prevents a defensive player from guarding in the lane for 3 seconds unless they are guarding a player within arm’s length. After an initial warning, every subsequent occurrence results in a team technical foul.
It is also possible for a home team to be hit with a technical foul. If they are playing artificial noise during live play or if their crowd commits dangerous offenses, like throwing objects on the court, then a technical foul will be assessed.
Lastly, if players from opposing teams are involved in some physical altercation, the two of them can receive double technical fouls. That means each individual gets a technical foul, and the team who was in possession at the time of the fouls regains possession.
What are the Penalties for a Technical Foul?
The penalties for a technical foul depends on what level of basketball you’re watching.
In high schoolall technical fouls have a penalty of 2 free throws and the ball for the opposing team. In addition, if a coach is called for a technical foul, they must remain seated for the remainder of the contest.
At the college levelthe number of free throws awarded depends on the kind of technical foul that gets called. For a class B technical foul, like hanging on the rim, flopping, or delay of game, the penalty is only 1 free throw attempt. However, for a class A technical foul, typically an unsportsmanlike action by a player or coach, the penalty is 2 free throws and possession of the ball.
In the NBAnon-unsportsmanlike technical fouls, like defensive 3 seconds or calling excessive timeouts, are penalized by giving 1 free throw to the opposing team. But unsportsmanlike technicals give the opposing team 2 free throws and possession of the basketball. Regardless of the level, 2 technical fouls in a game bring an immediate ejection from the game, whether it is a coach or player.
In addition, the NBA also has some harsher penalties for unsportsmanlike technicals. First, guilty parties are fined for each unsportsmanlike technical they receive. On top of that, once a player or coach receives 16 of these technicals during the regular season, they are suspended a game. After that, every 2 additional technicals result in another game suspension.
Technical Foul Records
There are a variety of different records for technical fouls in the NBA.
Most technical fouls in a season?
Rasheed Wallace – 41
In the 2000-01 season, the Portland Trailblazers Rasheed Wallace played 80 regular season and playoff games.
During this time, he received 41 technical fouls, basically averaging a technical foul every other game that season.
Most technical fouls in a career?
Karl Malone – 332
When thinking about Karl Malone on the basketball court, scoring and rebounding are typically the first two things that come to mind. But apparently, so should technical fouls.
Because with his 332 career technical fouls, the Mailman has a slight edge over Charles Barkley for the most technical fouls in a career.
Conclusion
Even though they may all go by the same general name, all technical fouls are not created equal.
Some of the “lesser” ones, like administrative or non-unsportsmanlike technicals, can be called for simple mistakes like putting the wrong number down for a player in the scorebook or calling a timeout when a team doesn’t have any left.
Then, there are the “big” ones that involve some unsportsmanlike act. Whether it’s taunting an opponent, acting disrespectfully toward an official, or getting into a fight, these actions come to mind for most people when they hear “technical foul.”
But no matter what kind of technicals someone may get, after two of them, the guilty party will be ejected from the game.
So whether you’re a player, a coach, or even a fan, make sure you do your part to prevent your team from getting called for any technical fouls and put yourselves at a disadvantage
