Florida Cheerleader Rules
 

I apologize in advance for the long post.

District final game. Fairly intense and physical game, but easy going coaches. Home AD is a former official and is the best host in the area.

At the first timeout, the home AD approaches, asking if the visiting cheerleaders can stand, informing me they have been, and suggesting that they should not be. I agree and address the visiting cheerleaders that they can only stand during timeouts.

Why do I care? Because FHSAA says I have to care. FHSAA has regulations on cheerleaders, and guess who is responsible for enforcing? Yes, we officials. :rolleyes:

Play resumes, and I can hear some complaints from the fairly small crowd, and soon realize that the visiting fans are upset that we made the visiting cheerleaders sit, when nearly the entire squad of the home team cheerleaders are standing, cheering, and dancing during the game. So, at the end of the 1st quarter (the next break), I inform the home cheerleaders the same as I informed the visiting cheerleaders.

Early in the 2nd quarter, I still hear the crowd complaints, and notice that the home cheerleaders are still standing. As I go to address it, the home AD gets involved and is irate, saying that they are allowed to stand, that they are fans (because they were in the bleachers, not on the floor). His actions completely blindsided us. He asked us to handle the visiting cheerleaders, then insisted his own could!

He continues to yell at us during free throw administration. My partner emphatically tells him we're not having this tonight. After first free throw, he continues, and I address him with something like "you asked me to have the visiting cheerleaders sit, so yours have to sit, too!" The next time down the court, he had more to say at which point I said, "another word and you're out of here!"

At halftime, while we are looking for the specific FHSAA rule, AD visits, and in a calm demeanor, wants to discuss, saying that I said I was going to give the head coach a technical foul (something I did not say). He proceeded to say that he called one of our longest tenured officials who agreed with him. My partners told him that we didn't care who said what, we made the decision and that's that, and ran him out of there. Kudos to my partners for having my back!

As we're about to begin the 2nd half, AD asks what we're doing in the 2nd half (he thought we'd find the rule to say we were incorrect). I told him "the same thing we did in the first half." He told the cheerleader coach, "I'll tell them, and when griblets (insert real name) finds out he's wrong, he'll write me an apology." I said, "you know I will." (I should have said, "when you find out you're wrong, you can write me an apology.")

It didn't take long after the game to find the policy. Instead of an apology, I simply texted:

FHSAA Policy 33:

33.2.1 Cheerleaders must remain in their seats along the sidelines at all times when the ball is alive or a match is in progress.

33.2.2 Officials are responsible for the enforcement of this regulation. First offense – warning; Second and subsequent offense –
technical foul in basketball; awarding of point against violating school in volleyball and wrestling.


:D:D:D

All that to ask:

1) has anyone else ever had a situation where the head administrator had to be removed?

2) does your state require officials to police the cheerleaders?

I came close once during a lower level tournament - game administrator was running the clock, and got into a yelling match across the court with fans. As it was a tournament, neither team was the home team, so it was very odd why the administrator felt the need to antagonize the fans. At halftime we actually apologized to the fans and had to tell the game administrator that if she didn't knock it off we would have her removed. (This was a two gym tournament so there was a more senior admin in the other gym we would have gone to).

As for cheerleaders, if we do I've never been told about it here in California.

Alive Ball ???
 

Connecticut ...
 

Only within the parameters of the NFHS basketball rules. That means, for the most part, that we occasionally remind cheerleaders that they can't come onto the court during a thirty second timeout, and that they can't line up along the endline between the lane lines.

It wasn't me, but this incident in my area happened a year ago where the AD was ejected for inappropriate comments (archive link). I believe It was discussed here as well, but I couldn't find the thread with the search function.

I've learned that it's best not to back yourself into a corner with an ultimatum like this.


1) No. Close but not yet.

2) No. We have cheerleaders sit in the stands. What concerns me is when 2 or 3 of them come down to the corner to jump after a made FT. I've had to back them in in the 2H when they're on the end we're shooting at.

Personally, I don't care if they come onto the floor during a 30 second TO. Having to wait for teams to clean up water in front of the bench usually delays the game restarting more than cheerleaders.