What's in your pregame?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

This (above) seems to be already covered by this (below):

2011-12 NFHS POINTS OF EMPHASIS: 1. SPORTING BEHAVIOR. The NFHS Basketball Rules Committee continues to be concerned about the following behaviors: A. Pregame Situations ... Gatherings intended to motivate a team after the warm-up period, during or following player introductions ... should be performed in the area directly in front of the team bench.

I believe that we stress this here in Connecticut because we had several incidents in the state of visiting players spitting on the home team's jump ball circle logo during pregame introductions. Our state interscholastic sports governing body wants officials to prevent such behavior.

Why weren't officials calling Technical Fouls for this behavior?

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Plus, if we didn't list it as a "Connecticut only", those who became officials after 2011-12 wouldn't know about this NFHS Point of Emphasis. ...

Well, that is not "Connecticut only". It's in the Virginia pre-season NFHS rules clinic every year.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Connecticut Only: Team members are not allowed to congregate at division line, or on school logo, during introductions.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

2011-12 NFHS POINTS OF EMPHASIS: 1. SPORTING BEHAVIOR. The NFHS Basketball Rules Committee continues to be concerned about the following behaviors: A. Pregame Situations ... Gatherings intended to motivate a team after the warm-up period, during or following player introductions ... should be performed in the area directly in front of the team bench.

I believe that we stress this here in Connecticut because we had several incidents in the state of visiting players spitting on the home team's jump ball circle logo during pregame introductions. Our state interscholastic sports governing body wants officials to prevent such behavior.

Originally Posted by Raymond

Why weren't officials calling Technical Fouls for this behavior?

They were (it didn't involve my little part corner of Connecticut). In the aftermath, the state interscholastic sports governing body decided to try to prevent this activity rather than punish (although it's still an option for us). They were being both reactive and proactive (this was a few years before 2011-12).