NEW YORK (AFP) – The NBA players association is planning to challenge the league's decision to hand out more technical fouls to complaining players, saying the move is an "overreaction".

Billy Hunter, executive director of the union, said in a statement Thursday that the players weren't consulted about the rule changes.

"We intend to file an appropriate legal challenge," Hunter said.

In September the league announced it was expanding its "respect for the game" guidelines to include unsportsmanlike actions that it feels take away from the product on the floor - and how it looks on television.

Guidelines for issuing technical fouls now include such gestures such as raising a fist in the air in anger, incredulous arm waving and excessive questioning of the call even in moderate tones.

Four technical fouls were called in a 16-second span of Boston's exhibition victory over New York on Wednesday, and Celtics All-Star Kevin Garnett was ejected after picking up two of them for arguing.

NBA officials said they had conducted research that showed fans felt players complained to much, but Hunter disputed that finding.

"We have not seen any increase in the level of 'complaining' to the officials and we believe that players as a whole have demonstrated appropriate behavior toward the officials," Hunter said.

"Worse yet, to the extent the harsher treatment from the referees leads to a stifling of the players' passion and exuberance for their work, we fear these changes may actually harm our product."