Two recent instances on distraction from the bench on a free throw.

1. Standing as trail near the bench during a free throw in a 5th grade rec game. As team A shooting the first, a kid on team B bench says 'brick' loud enough for all to hear. I turned around and said "Do not say anything like that again. Let's redo that shot." Team A makes it second time around. Coach says to player "Hope you learned something." Thank you coach for the support.

2. 6th grade travel girls league. Team B bench was banging their heals on the bleachers during a free throw. I did the same thing. Coach politely questioned me on it and I explained the rule. Then coach A said that I was the first ref to call it all year on that team.

Let's show some sportmanship!

I often penalize players for attempting to distract the free throw shooter.

Curious ... are you running 3-man in 5th-grade rec games?

Good point, why are you near the banch on a free throw as trail?

Isn't it obvious?
 

He likes coaches, he wanted to chat ;)

Easy answer. He is doing rec games and it is safer by the bench than by the fans.

rafking,
I look at the bench.
It scares them into being polite.
mick

Safer? My god, what happens at rec games that you are unsafe if you are near the fans?

You don't do rec games, do you?

I had a coach very irate over a disconcertion call. He claimed the rule only covered the players, and not bench personel.

To make a long story short, he was so irate he made it to half court before i had a chance to T him up.

Had a feeling that this question would be raised...
It's an old Indiana gym that has the scoring table opposite the bench. I feel like I am in the movie 'Hoosiers' when in it.

Nope. I did men's games the first year I started to ref, and that was the last time I worked any adult leagues. No amount of money is worth that crap. I guess I'll be thinking twice about doing any rec leagues after this.

Come and work some games with me next Sunday, and I'll show you!

Worked 2 middle schools this season and both benches were opposit of the table. Whenever a team wished to sub, the sub walked to the center line opposite the table and the coach yelled "Sub!"

You should have seen the fans tonight in my 2 CYO games. The games were terrific -- the fans were ugly, ugly. One of the coaches in the first game was the commissioner for the second game. He sat in the stands for the second game and after the game, he asked me if his team's parents sounded like that during his game and I replied, Yep! I guess he was so into the game that he didn't pay attention to the parents.

dblref,
What is a commissioner's role?
mick