In basketball, when the referee forms T, showing his palms, what hand signal does he show? Good Day Question: In basketball, when the referee forms T, showing his palms, what hand signal does he show? Answer: when the referee forms T as a hand signal in basketball, it means a Technical Foul. Technical foul can be committed by any players who are in defense or in offense. Technical foul is not also limited to the players present on the court, referees can also call technical foul from the players on the bench. Referees can also call technical from the coach.