SEC: Referee whistled Kentucky’s Humphries for ‘unsportsmanlike act’

The NCAA rule book does not contain specific language saying that a technical foul shall be assessed when a player slams the ball to the court. The wording of the rule does not prohibit a referee from assessing a technical foul when a player slams the ball to the court.

Referee Pat Adams called a technical foul on Isaac Humphries after the Kentucky player threw the ball to the court in apparent celebration Saturday.

Texas A&M made two technical free throws to take a one-point lead with 9.4 seconds left in overtime. The Aggies ultimately won 79-77 on a put-back at the buzzer.

The Southeastern Conference issued a statement Monday that said that Adams “determined the Kentucky player committed an unsportsmanlike act in violation of Rule 10, Section 3, a Class A Unsporting Technical infraction.”

Here’s how the rule book reads:

Rule 10, Section 3. CLASS A Unsporting Technical Infractions

A player or substitute committing an unsportsmanlike act including, but not limited to, the following:

a. Disrespectfully addressing an official or gesturing in such a manner as to indicate resentment.

b. Using profanity or vulgarity; taunting, baiting or ridiculing another player or bench personnel; or pointing a finger at or making obscene gestures toward another player or bench personnel.

c. Inciting undesirable crowd reaction.

d. Faking being fouled by an opponent when confirmed by instant replay during a review for a flagrant foul, contact dead ball technical foul or flagrant 2 contact technical foul. (See Rule 11-2.1.d.6.). Contacting an opponent, while the ball is dead, in an unnecessary, unacceptable and excessive manner.

f. Flagrantly (severe or extreme) contacting an opponent while the ball is dead.

g. A flagrant noncontact infraction that involves extreme, sometimes persistent, vulgar, abusive conduct when the ball is dead or live.

h. Participating after having been disqualified (noncontact flagrant 2 technical).

i. Leaving the playing court and going into the stands when a fight may break out or has broken out (flagrant noncontact infraction).

j. Fighting as in Rule 10-5.

k. Disrespectfully contacting an official

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 1:35 PM with the headline "SEC: Referee whistled Kentucky’s Humphries for ‘unsportsmanlike act’."