The dominant story line of this young NBA season hasn’t been the surprise teams, the breakout players or the new ball.

It’s been how the game is being called: to the letter of the law. To be exact, the letter is a “T.”

Because of the NBA’s new rule that penalizes players for excessively complaining to referees, technical fouls and ejections are up, causing players and coaches to wonder if the league is trying to snuff out the game’s natural emotion.

“I would hate to see emotions taken out of the game, because you can ask me a question right now and I can be pretty emotional,” said Mavericks coach Avery Johnson, who has been hit with three technical fouls this season, including an ejection in a Nov. 6 loss to Golden State. “But that doesn’t mean you’re going to give me a technical, or you won’t interview me anymore. Sometimes people get emotional.”

Despite criticism from players about the new rule, league officials insist it’s not a zero-tolerance policy and that it doesn’t prevent players from being emotional. They say the rule has been grossly misinterpreted, and that misinterpretation has taken on a life of its own.

“It’s the ‘Respect for the Game’ rule,” NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said. “We’re not saying players can’t be emotional. They can express displeasure with the calls as long as it’s done in a respectful manner.”

The league sent a memo to all 30 teams before the season notifying them of the rule change and what players were permitted to do. In part, the memo states that the emphasis is “designed to reduce the amount of complaining about officiating that players engage in during games.”

Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace, who leads the league in technical fouls this season with four, said he believed the new rule targeted specific players.

“You saw me laugh last year (in the playoffs) when we played Cleveland, and (I) got a tech,” Wallace said. “I already know I’m Public Enemy No. 1. I’m on that blacklist.”

Those involved with the league don’t want the NBA to become like the NFL, which earned the nickname the “No Fun League” because of its efforts to tone down player celebrations and antics. Some NBA players are adjusting by coming up with imaginative plans to steer clear of the referees’ wrath.

“I guess you’ve just got to act like there’s an imaginary friend out there and act like you’re talking to yourself,” Mavs center Erick Dampier said. “Don’t even look at the refs. Just act like you’re talking to yourself. Then, who are they going to give the ‘T’ to? What are they going to tech you for? You’re talking to yourself.”

Already, Sacramento’s Mike Bibby, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and Wallace have been ejected from games after receiving technical fouls under the new rule.

From the players’ standpoint, the rule is too subjective. For instance, San Antonio center Francisco Elson received a technical in the season opener against Dallas after he screamed at no one in particular as he ran down court celebrating one of his dunks. But later in the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had to yank an overzealous Tim Duncan off the court when he was excessively complaining to the refs. Duncan never received a technical for his outburst.

Did that have anything to do with Duncan’s status as one of the game’s biggest stars?

“There are a lot of gray areas, in my mind,” Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter said. “You can’t make a gesture if they make a call, but they say in the heat of the moment you can do it.

“So who’s to say that you’re not in the heat of the moment? I think it needs some clarification on that.”

And what happens if, in the waning seconds of a one-point or tied game, all five players flail their arms – a prohibited behavior – and complain when a questionable call goes against them? Is that five technical fouls?

The league said that example also falls under the heading of a “heat-of-the-moment reaction,” and generally, no one would be penalized. That’s why, the NBA said, it’s totally incorrect to describe its policy as zero-tolerance.

“I support (policing) the excessive complaining, but I didn’t support not allowing the players to show emotions,” Johnson said. “It’s an emotional game.”

Which is why players may be relieved to know that they can still express themselves on the court, to a degree.

“You don’t want to take the emotions out of the game,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “That’s what people like.

“They want to see the faces, they want to see the emotion. That’s what makes the game so great.”