What action is taken if players are engaging in taunting during a game?

When players engage in taunting during a game, issuing a warning to the team is the appropriate course of action. This approach serves to address the behavior without escalating the situation prematurely. By providing a warning, officials signal that taunting is unacceptable and that further infractions may lead to more severe consequences. This method also gives the team an opportunity to correct the behavior before any penalties escalate to ejections or more serious disciplinary actions.

In contrast, other options, such as taking no action if the taunting is deemed "light-hearted," could fail to address the negative impact of taunting on sportsmanship and player respect. Pausing the game may disrupt the flow and pace unnecessarily, while automatically ejecting players could be disproportionate for less severe instances of taunting, which might not warrant such a strong penalty right away. Thus, issuing a warning effectively balances the need for maintaining game decorum while allowing for corrective action.