parents fighting

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.
[/B]

Spectators are not the concern of the game officials, except for the following exceptions:

1) A spectator makes threats of physical violence against a participant (game officials, table officials, players, coaches, and bench personnel) of the game.

2) The spectator enters the playing court/field.

3) The spectator throws material onto the playing court/field.

4) The extremely rare situations that impact play on the playing court/field. These situations will always be subject to debate, and usually occur when the number of spectators is very small, usually under 100.

Contrary to poplular belief, spectators are not the responsibility of the game officials. Game officials have enought to worry about what is happening between the lines let alone what is happeneing in the stands. When any of the above three things happen, stop the game and have the Site Manager take care of it.

[/B][/QUOTE]Disagree- somewhat. If spectators aren't part of our responsibility, then why did they put rules in the book to cover them? Specifically NFHS rule 2-8-1- which does give us the right to call a "T" on a team's fans or eject them(also see casebook play 2.8.1). We also have to apply Rule 1-18 and casebook play 1.18 with regards to noisemakers,etc. as part of our duties also. Iow, the stands are our responsibility, but we don't deal with them directly, unless it's via a "T"- which has happened already in NCAA games for fans throwing toilet paper on the floor after the home team made their first basket. Game management acts at OUR direction.

We're probably just arguing semantics, Mark, but I wanted to emphasize that game management, including the fans, is definitely part of our duties.