[LarryS]

Last night just after the start of the 4th quarter in my JV girls game (cross town rivals) we had a fight start in the stands. I am T (opposite) and I sense a commotion behind me before hearing someone yell. I glance back and two girls are really laying into each other. I am about to blow my whistle and get the players out of the area when I notice the girl with the ball is about to shoot. I hold my whistle a second, let her shoot and as soon as she releases give a tweet.

I immediately start trying to herd the girls to the bench and one girl from the visiting team takes a few steps backwards toward the fight...which has now moved onto the edge of the court. Not wanting her to get sucker punched from behind I grab her arm and yell "Watch it, clear the area"...to which she yanks her arm away and yells "Get off me", then notices the fight and scurries to the bench.

Teachers and security are there in a flash and break it up before a riot starts (and the gym was packed). We kept the game stopped while the police get there and escort the participants out. Coaches talk to their teams for a minute and we finish the game...took them a while to get back into the flow, each team turned it over on their next two possessions. Just before we resumed play, I went to the visiting team coach and told her I grabbed one of her players by the arm as she was unwittingly backing into the fight. She said "Yea, I saw that and got onto her for yelling at you." I just apologized to the girl and told the caoch "Completely understandable. All she knew was someone grabbed her just as all H was breaking out." Player said thanks as she was walking out onto the floor.

Guess the question is, would you have held the whistle for that second since the players were not in the immediate area of the fight? Keep in mind, I turned a little and could see what was happening off the floor out of the corner of my eye.