Golf Clap and Standing Bench Personnel

[JRutledge]

What are we addressing? Celebration?

Peace

[Mike Goodwin]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

What are we addressing? Celebration?

Peace

Non-spontaneous, premature celebration outside the limits of 10-5-4, I suppose, but yes, celebrating.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Non-spontaneous, premature celebration outside the limits of 10-5-4, I suppose, but yes, celebrating.

If you are bothered by it as an official, I guess you should address it to your assigner/supervisor or that school's state governing board.

If a change is going to come to that particular behavior, the direction needs to come from a higher authority, not an individual basketball official.

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[SC Official]

Unless you want to be branded some combination of “high maintenance” and “overly officious” by your peers, assigner, and coaches, I highly recommend letting this go.

Don’t be a plumber.

[Mike Goodwin]

Originally Posted by SC Official

Don’t be a plumber.

Aside from posting the question here, it's been five seasons and I still haven't taken any action yet. So, here's to season six!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Aside from posting the question here, it's been five seasons and I still haven't taken any action yet. So, here's to season six!

Is anyone having an issue with this? Players and teams do all kinds of things that are not spontaneous and we do not penalize them or even think about doing such. It is a golf clap, not yelling at the opponent. IF that is the case then any bench mob action is also a T. I have been doing this over 20 years and not seen many reasons to regulate any action without some direction and certainly not any direction on something like this.

Peace

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

... then any bench mob action is also a T.

I agree with the rest of JRutledge's recent post, but will remind the Forum that his statement above is not completely true. There are rule exceptions to allow some "mob action" by the bench. Bench personnel are always allowed to spontaneously react to an outstanding play by a teammate (or to acknowledge replaced players), but must immediately return to their seats.

To paraphrase JRutledge, many of us will also allow a few other things on a case by case basis using our experience, game management skills, judgement, local "culture", and common sense. I occasionally come across a bench "players", or assistant coaches, that "uncomfortably" delay returning to their seats after enthusiastically cheering (maybe for a tomahawk dunk), and will simply remind them to sit down as I pass the bench (not a written warning), and I'm usually immediately backed up by the head coach, or more often than not, an assistant.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

... when it gets down to the last 10 seconds or so, and when when their win is assured ... everyone on the team's bench stands and slowly claps until the final horn sounds.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Celebration?

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Non-spontaneous, premature celebration ...

10-5-4-D: Bench personnel, including the head coach, must not: Stand at the team bench while the clock is running or is stopped, and must remain seated, except: To spontaneously react to an outstanding play by a team member or to acknowledge a replaced player(s), but must immediately return to his/her seat.

Premature? Not really. Non-spontaneous? Definitely. Celebration? Definitely. Immediately? Ten seconds? Pushing the limits. Allowed? Was there an outstanding play by a team member? Unsporting? Possibly.

Originally Posted by Raymond

If you are bothered by it as an official, I guess you should address it to your assigner/supervisor or that school's state governing board. If a change is going to come to that particular behavior, the direction needs to come from a higher authority, not an individual basketball official.

Too many gray area questions regarding the rule. Agree 100% with Raymond. Don't go tilting at windmills alone, even for a noble cause. Bring backup, and not just Sancho Panza.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Mike Goodwin

Non-spontaneous, premature celebration outside the limits of 10-5-4, I suppose, but yes, celebrating.

Officiating is like being a judge. If you take everything literally without some standard of conduct being stated, then you should not be the only one make the law on the bench. There needs to be some kind of situation from the higher-ups to address this the way you wish or you are paying attention to something that no one cares about. I mean are coaches from other teams complaining? If they are, that should go to either a state organization, local association or an assignor that can address this through their staff. But right now, if that is all you got, I would not be doing anything but letting the clock run out.

Peace