Fans throwing things at officials

[LRZ]

The only time I had to deal with something like this, I didn't have to.

Kids in the stands were throwing pennies onto the floor. Administrators stopped the game and tried to identify the culprits. After about 10 minutes, when they could not id the kids, they cleared the gym of the entire section. No one on either team complained about the delay or the remedy. I thought it was great that the administrators stepped in immediately.

I'm pretty lenient about a lot of things, but not safety-related issues. At the least, the first time something was thrown onto the floor, I'd stop the game and have game administration warn the crowd. Second time, if the only way to proceed safely is by clearing the gym, so be it. If I recall correctly, for a year, maybe two, the NYC high school championship was played without any spectators--no students, parents, fans--just team-related personnel.