Golf Clap and Standing Bench Personnel

[Mike Goodwin]

There's a local team with a decent win-loss record for which I officiate games. For several years now, when it gets down to the last 10 seconds or so, and when when their win is assured (usually with a 10+ point lead), everyone on the team's bench stands and slowly claps (much like a golf clap) until the final horn sounds. They don't do this when they're about to lose, nor when the game is very close (around ~8 points or so), because the outcome isn't certain.

Relevant Rule and Case Book Play:

10-5: The head coach is responsible for his/her own conduct and behavior, as well as substitutes, disqualified team members and all other bench personnel. Bench personnel, including the head coach, shall not:

ART 4... Stand at the team bench while the clock is running or is stopped, and shall remain seated.

10.5.4 SITUATION B: Team A coaches and substitutes are all standing during a free throw by A1. The infraction is detected by the officials. How many technical fouls are assessed? In a situation where similar multiple infractions occur at the same time, it is not the intent of the rules to penalize each individual infraction as a separate technical foul. One technical foul is charged to Team A and it is also charged indirectly to the head coach in this situation, resulting in the loss of coaching-box privileges.

It seems a bit unsporting that they would do this only when they're about to win, but it doesn't seem productive to stop the game to record either a warning (and, in the case of a running clock due to the mercy rule, would be counterproductive) or assess a technical foul under 10-5-4 (which would just postpone the inevitable win just the same).

Is this team's collective behavior just something to overlook or should it be addressed as unsporting (starting next season, as we're now finished with the regular season and the regional tournament)? If they did this for every game it might be different, but it's only when a win is imminent. I can imagine the reaction of the head coach if one of us stops the game to address this. It'll go over like a lead balloon. Nevertheless, these questions remain:

Judge it legal? Address it as as an association? Something else?

[Camron Rust]

I'm counting down to 10 and hitting the locker room.

Yes, it is technically an infraction but not one I or anyone else is going to care about.

[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.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[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.

[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