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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 04:52pm
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I have a local HS that has cheerleaders that love to really crowd the baseline on one side of the court. It makes it real hard to work the baseline on the side they are on. Usually I motion them to move back a bit and they comply. But that led me to wonder...

What authority, if any, do we have to move cheerleaders?

I cant find a rule that allows us to do it and I even pulled up the Spirit Rules to see if they have a rule about it and they dont seem to.

I know one solution is to just ask the AD to do it. But at the end of a tight game, I dont want to have to get the AD and stop play to move them. I want to know if there is a rules basis to be able to move them if I want to.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 04:54pm
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You won't find anything in the rules to justify it, but you run over or bump into a couple of em, and they'll probably get the hint.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:09pm
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Yeah, there are any number of "practical" solutions. But I was hoping to have some rule backup if I really needed to move them at the end of a tight game.

I'm thinking about it because I have a game at that site coming up soon.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:11pm
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Quote:
Originally posted by cdaref
I cant find a rule that allows us to do it and I even pulled up the Spirit Rules to see if they have a rule about it and they dont seem to.
Look a little harder, it's in there.

A couple of years ago, I helped out part time at a local rec center. They had a Spirit Rules Book. One boring Saturday afternoon, I thumbed through, in search of this exact rule. The book basically says that cheerleaders should not stand during any live ball situations.

Your state association may also have rules regarding this. The NCHSAA states in the Basketball section of our handbook that "Cheerleaders must remain seated during all live balls, which includes after the free throw shooter is handed the ball. Cheerleaders may not come onto the fl oor during 30-second timeouts."
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:14pm
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Authority.

The authority is in 2:3 - The referee shall make decisions on any points not specifically covered in the rules.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:15pm
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High School kids love to feel important. Before the game, ask who the cheerleading captain is. Then just tell her that she needs to help you out and explain what you expect from her team. She'll comply. If they do forget and start to crowd you as the game gets exciting, just go to her and she'll take care of it.

Z
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:20pm
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Talk to the Game Administration. Mention "saftey" concerns you have.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:24pm
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kajun Ref N Texas
Authority.

The authority is in 2:3 - The referee shall make decisions on any points not specifically covered in the rules.
Additionally, on page 10 of NFHS, "The restrictions which the rules place upon the players are intended to...provide reasonable safety and protection"

2:2 - The officials shall make decisions for infractions of the rules committed within or outside the boundary lines.
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:27pm
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The NFHS Spirit Book is provided to ALL school cheerleader sponsors, administrators, as well as each local officials association. (normally sent to the previous year's president).

The rule, as has been explained to us, is simply that cheerleaders may not stand ON THE FLOOR during a live ball. However, as long as they are in the 2nd row of the bleachers or higher, they may stand during live balls.

They are allowed to come on the floor during full timeouts and in between quarters, but, not during 30 second timeouts.

Ask your local association president (or board member) if they have a copy of the spirit book and have them look up the rule to reinforce your confidence in the rule.

Cheerleaders are not our (officials) responsibility either. They fall under the home game managements responsibility.

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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:32pm
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Quote:
Originally posted by BktBallRef
A couple of years ago, I helped out part time at a local rec center. They had a Spirit Rules Book. One boring Saturday afternoon, I thumbed through,...
Hmm...thinking of picking up another activity (cheerleading) if this referee thing doesn't work out?

It's interesting to hear the book says they should not stand during live ball situations. I have yet to see a cheerleader do anything BUT stand during the entire game, except, of course, when they're doing their flips and things during the full timeouts. I usually ask nice, and most of the time they move aside when they're in the spot I want to be, but I've always wondered it had more to do with my deodorant.

Most of the time I have very little contact with cheerleaders, but in a recent game my partner had to almost restrain one from coming on the floor. Apparently she had an issue with a fellow from the other team who had, perhaps, fouled a good friend of hers a little too hard. A quick step in front of her, and a couple of comments from her colleagues got her back under control. It's good to have a woman who's willing to protect her man, right?
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:43pm
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Thanks everyone.

I saw 2-3, but that is pretty generic. I was hoping no to have to hang my hat on that. However, I imagine no one would get pissed if my ruling was that the cheerleaders were interfering with my ability to call the game, observe violations and fouls, etc.

I was just hoping for a clearer statement somewhere.

I will check local association rules, too. Good suggestion.

Its funny. I've never really had this before. This is my first year with a new association (I moved). The cheerleaders here really like to be on the baseline. And I mean close to the baseline.

[Edited by cdaref on Jan 12th, 2006 at 05:45 PM]
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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 05:53pm
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I know our state has noticed that cheerleaders are such a problem that they have addressed it with the schools and officials a couple of years ago. As a matter of fact post season hosting assignments are considered by the amount of room that needs to be clear because the cheerleaders have become a problem with interfering with officials and players. I think the distance from the court has to be 6 feet (I will have to check for sure) from the perimeter from the court in order to host a post season assignment.

All you have to say to the "ladies" is to let them know you are not looking at them when you are running down the court. Usually they realize they are in danger (the operative word is "usually") of getting run over or getting in the way and they adjust. Officials have every right to move people that are not apart of the game that might put someone at risk of injury or interfering with the game.

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Old Thu Jan 12, 2006, 06:00pm
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Generally they respond if asked to move. In a respectful way asking, "can I get you to move a few steps down this way" or something like that, seems to be effective.
A few years ago I had this issue and asked one of the girls to move down the baseline so I wouldn't run into her. She immediately got defensive and said, in a very negative tone, "we're athletes too you know!" I wasnt' going to get anywhere with her so I went to the table to ask for the game admin. The PA announcer asked what I needed and I said I needed the girls to move to one side of the basket or the other. He immediately gets on the PA and requests, "WILL THE CHEERLEADERS PLEASE MOVE FROM THE END OF THE COURT" so everyone in the gym could hear it. I was laughing to myself thinking, hey, they got what they deserved. It wasn't what I intended but it certainly was effective!
They ended sitting up in the stands without doing any cheer for the entire game and they let me have it nearly every time I was at their end of the court within hearing distance.
Lesson: Be careful who you ask to help you.
Lesson2: Mess with the cheerleaders only if absolutely necessary.
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Old Fri Jan 13, 2006, 01:26am
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I have seen similar problems, only with them standing too close to the sideline in front of the bleachers opposite table side.

Last season I had one game where they were really close to the sideline and we'd asked them to move back. In the 3rd quarter I was transitioning to cover a fast break that was close to the sideline. I was in a full out sprint straight down the sideline, looking back over my shoulder when one of them stepped a little too close & I didn't see her. Fortunately it was more of a glancing contact than a direct collision, but it still knocked her flat on her butt. She was shaken up but not really hurt. We then had the AD make them sit.

Now when I see cheerleaders at the game, I tell game management that for safety reasons they're not allowed within 3 feet of any court boundary line when the ball is live - period.
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Old Fri Jan 13, 2006, 08:10am
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I tell them they need to move back. I'm 6'6" and about 230 pounds and I tell them that when I haul booty down court, I'm not looking to see where they are and they are a lot smaller than me. They get the message.
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