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Originally Posted by Nevadaref
So here is my legalistic response. 
RULE 4, SECTION 18 FIGHTING
Fighting is a flagrant act and can occur when the ball is dead or live. Fighting includes, but is not limited to combative acts such as:
ART. 1 . . . An attempt to strike, punch or kick an opponent with a fist, hands, arms, legs or feet regardless of whether contact is made.
ART. 2 . . . An attempt to instigate a fight by committing an unsporting act toward an opponent that causes an opponent to retaliate by fighting.
And this leads to the old question about what to do if two teammates punch each other during the game. Is that fighting? Are they DQ'd?
Personally, I would toss them by pointing to certain words contained in the definitons of an unsporting foul in 4-19-14 and a flagrant foul in 4-19-4.
4-19-14: "dishonorable conduct"
4-19-4: "displays unacceptable conduct" |
And, the common thread to your examples is these are all participants in the game. The rule says "opponents", but I would have no problem with adding teammates, other coaches, table personnel, etc. in to the mix, all of these being participants in the game. The "fight" occured in the stands, and none of the game participants was a part of that fight. So how do you apply the rule pertaining to a fight, if the "fight" is not among the participants?
Let's take it one step further - one parent happened to buy the last hot dog at the concession stand, and the parent from the other team took exception to this and started a fight. During the TO, the players hear the commotion and have to come out on the floor to be able to look out the doorway and see what's going on. There's a fight, it's not among the game participants, the players left their bench area, so should they be penalized?