The megaphone question came up as I was discussing the following situation with a friend:
Situation: A student sounded an air horn in the student section. Officials stopped the game, asked game management to deal with it and gave the team a delay of game warning. When it happened a second time, the officials assessed a team technical foul and took away the coach's standing privileges.
My take on this situation:
First "violation":
Not a delay warning (not one of the four delay situations listed), but there could (should) be an announcement made stating that the use of any artificial noisemakers is prohibited at all times.
Second "violation" (if one chooses to go this route, sometimes one has to do what one has to do): Team technical foul for team supporters acting in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game (2-8-1). Head coach does
not sit for team technical fouls.
Thoughts?
Citations:
1-18: The playing of music/sound effects must only be permitted during pregame, time-outs, intermission and post-game. The use of artificial noisemakers must be prohibited.
2-8-1: The officials must: Penalize unsporting conduct by any player, coach, substitute, team attendant or follower. NOTE: The home management or game committee is responsible for spectator behavior, insofar as it can reasonably be expected to control the spectators. The officials may rule fouls on either team if its supporters act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game. Discretion must be used in ruling such fouls, however, lest a team be unjustly penalized. When team supporters become unruly or interfere with the orderly progress of the game, the officials must stop the game until the host management resolves the situation and the game can proceed in an orderly manner. In the absence of a designated school representative, the home coach must serve as the host management.
4-47: A warning to a team for delay is an administrative procedure by an official which is recorded in the scorebook by the scorer and reported to the head coach:
ART. 1 For throw-in plane violations ...
ART. 2 For huddle by either team and contact with the free thrower ...
ART. 3 For interfering with the ball following a goal ...
ART. 4 For failure to have the court ready for play following any timeout ...
10-2: Team Technical. Penalty: Head coach does not lose the privilege of the coaching box.
10-6: Head Coach’s Rule: The first technical foul charged directly or indirectly to the head coach results in loss of coaching-box privileges.
1.18 SITUATION: (c) fans from the visiting team are using artificial noisemakers during an opponent's attempted free throw. RULING: All situations are prohibited by rule. The officials should notify game management in (c) to have a public-address announcement made stating that the use of any artificial noisemakers is prohibited at all times. In all situations, if the problem continues it may result in a technical foul being assessed to the team supporter(s).
2.8.1 SITUATION: What guidelines should be exercised by the officials when spectators’ actions are such that they interfere with the administration of the game? RULING: The rules book states “the official may rule fouls on either team if its supporters act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game.” It is significant to note the word used is “may.” This gives permission, but does not in any way imply that officials must call technical fouls on team followers or supporters for unsporting acts. Thus, while officials do have the authority to penalize a team whose spectators interfere with the proper conduct of the game, this authority must be used with extreme caution and discretion. While the authority is there, the official must rarely use it, because experience has demonstrated that calling hasty technical fouls on the crowd rarely solves the problem and may, in fact, result in penalizing the wrong team because the official may not have proper knowledge as to which team's supporters were responsible for the unsporting act.
