Sunday, May 26, 2013

Post-game Flare Up During Spinners vs Current Game

Here's the end of tonight's (Sunday, May 26) Philadelphia Spinners vs. DC Current game where Purifico (PHS #2), after walking away from Keegan's (DCC #3) push, had to be restrained by his teammates...

:Background:
Before this end-of-the-game tussle, the Philly sideline visibly complained about calls (& non-calls) throughout the game. Spinner players & coaches were seen kicking cones while on the sideline. Philadelphia's Head Coach Billy Maroon eventually earned an orange arm band in middle of the 4th quarter after a turf-level catch by a Spinner was ruled incomplete by the MLU referee. ("only active players may earn a band" [per the MLU Rulebook])
Spinners Head Coach Maroon wearing an orange band.
:End of the Game:
DC Current was up 4 points at closing seconds of the 4th quarter. DC had possession of the disc as they wound down the clock, moving the disc near the endzone and called an "unusual timeout".


After the timeout,  DC had a turnover at the cone. Philadelphia then threw the disc to the middle of the field as time ran out. Nick Purifico (PHS) reacted upset after Sean Keegan (DCC) appeared to have pushed him [NOTE: not captured on video]. Purifico then complained to a ref and reacted demonstratively.

After the teams shook hands, Purifico again reacted demonstratively toward the refs to the point where Spinners players and the Spinners GM stepped in to restrain him. He eventually walked off the field to the sidelines. As you can see from the video, many players sought out the referees to talk to them after the game.

DC Current tweeted there was some orange band awarded to both Keegan & Purifico.

Nic Darling (MLU Vice-President) & Ian McClellan (MLU Director of Competition) were both in attendance. Will any further action be taken against coaches &/or any players by this pro Ultimate league?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you watch the video at the end and see the "tackle" Keegan gets in the endzone, this is just another part of what was going on between the two players ALL game. Both teams were complaining and screaming at the refs. Philly coach just happened to do it directly in the line judges face (which of course will get you banded)

Anonymous said...

Watch the 2OT of the Rumble @ Spinners game - same guy decks Rumble player, profanity laced tirade at ref complaining about a pick ensues (he was 20+ yards away). Already had an armband, nothing happened.

Anonymous said...

You wear the orange arm band, and you feel shame.

Anonymous said...

" same guy decks Rumble player, profanity laced tirade at ref complaining about a pick ensues (he was 20+ yards away)"

Doubt he was complaining about a "pick," rather some kind of blocking foul (so distance from the guy catching the disc at the time of the call is irrelevant). The first time I watched it I thought the same thing that Purifico was probably thinking; it looked like the NY guy saw him running across the field, and slid over to intentionally block him, causing the contact. On subsequent viewings it looks like it might have been more accidental.

In any case, the MLU rules actually seem kind of vague in this area. I'm not seeing anything specifically related to blocking fouls, drawing charges, etc.

For it to be a foul on either player it looks like it would have to fall somewhere under B.7.b.i, ii, or vi:

b. All of the following types of contact should be considered a personal foul:
i. Contact that results when a player holds, pushes, charges into, or impedes
the progress of an opponent by extending a hand, forearm, leg, or knee or
by otherwise unusually positioning the body.
ii. Contact that results in the rerouting of an opponent
vi. Contact due to recklessness or lack of body control.

There is also "Unintentional contact away from the disc that does not affect the outcome of the play (and that does not endanger any player) should be
ignored." if the ref determined hat this 1) was uninentional by either party, 2) did not affect the play (couldn't have gotten there) and 3) wasn't dangerous. It seems like at least one of those things is probably not true.