OOB...on a cheerleader!
 

I'm lead, A1 drives from wing to low block in front of me and throws a pass that hits B1 and the ball bounces away--through the lane--parallel to the endline. The ball is clearly going to head OOB on the far SIDEline on C's side (once it gets that far) but a cheerleader (we'll call her A2, since she's cheering for A1's team) positioned on the end line decides reach out ON TO THE FLOOR and grab the ball. :eek: Whoops.

When she reached out and grabbed that ball, my mind did 50 things, but my whistle did nuthin'. My partner--the C--calmly blew it dead and stepped down to gave the ball to B, reasoning that it was A's cheerleader that caused the ball to go OOB. We sold that story to A's HC (he bought it, no problems), gave the ball to B, and played on.

Anyone handle this one different? Anyone want to award the ball back to A since it was last touched by B? Should this have happened late in the 4th quarter of a close game, I can see both teams making an argument for possession. Anyone use the arrow in that case? My officiating intuition says the ball has to go to team B if both coaches are aruguing for possession.

If it's "clearly going out of bounds, last touched by B," I'm giving it to A. I don't recommend it, but over the years I have caught a ball on the court myself that was clearly going out of bounds.

By rule, this is clearly A's ball. Cheerleaders are not players, they're fans.

I'm assuming there was no unsporting intent on the part of the cheerleader, just an absent-minded moment?

If so, was any part of the cheerleader OOB when she reached out and touched it? If the cheerleader was OOB, then now the ball is OOB just as if it had touched an official who was standing partly OOB. Since the ball was off B1, we award a TI to Team A at the spot. End of story, easy resolution.

If the cheerleader was entirely inbounds, I think under NCAA rules we might have a technical here (reminds me of the situation of the Montana recruit in the Big Sky semi-final game last year which, if I recall correctly wasn't a T but only because the recruit ultimately didn't interfere with play). But under NFHS, I don't believe there's any specific technical foul rules coverage here (again, assuming the cheerleader's actions are not deemed unsporting). So that leaves you with blowing the whistle for a game interruption, and then awarding the ball to A nearest the POI because A still had team control at the time. Still a good result because A would have had the ball either way.

If B hadn't touched it, meaning the ball would have gone OOB off A when A's cheerleader touched it, then we'd have a more sticky situation, but I'd still favor following the rule than arbitrarily saying, "I'm giving it to B because the problem was caused by A's cheerleader."

Outside person interferes = blow it dead and award based upon POI.

Team A had team control so that is who gets the ball in this case.

B last touched it, give it to A.

Change the situation (cheerleader is on the floor; someone had a chance to get to the ball, etc.) and you might get a different answer.

Team A ball. Why on earth would you give it to team B?

The Montana situation should have been a technical, but that's beside the point. Team A ball according to the situation in the OP.

I agree. A gets the ball, and make the cheerleaders stay back from the lines.

Even at my peak weight, I'm 200 lbs. I can simply remind the cheerleaders that if there's a collision I'm not going to be the one to get hurt. When that doesn't work, Maverick does a quick fly. Their eyes get big and they move pretty quickly at that point.

Yeah, I actually took one out about 10 years ago - sprinting down the side line looking over my shoulder covering a fast break. The cheerleaders were along the sideline, the one on the far end leaned into the court to get a better look and we hit shoulder to shoulder. 180 lb of me versus maybe 105 lb of her - it wasn't much of a contest. Fortunately she wasn't seriously injured - it was somewhat of a glancing contact and the way she was leaning she fell on her backside and slid about 10 feet.

Quaint ...
 

Same exact scenario for me, in a gymnasium that was infamous for having very little room outside the endlines, or sidelines. Luckily the school built a new gymnasium since then, with plenty of room.

I love the Top Gun reference.

Back when I was in shape enough to do JV ball regularly (I know do mainly MS due to my physical condition not allowing me to run well enough for HS ball), I had one of those collisions. I was moving along sideline, looking back on a semi-fast break. The cheerleader decided to do a kick right as I ran by. She kicked me right in the face (and gave me a bloody nose), and she went spinning to the floor.

That actually became a mess because I got blood on the uniform (and didn't have a spare shirt), and she went flying. I ended up reffing the rest of the game in a white polo shirt which had the visiting teams logo on it (I was student teaching there at the time). It did not go over well. Now I always keep a spare shirt in the car, just in case.

Ha I think the blood rule is only for the players... :rolleyes: Glad you survived the Danielson kick though...