Spectator interference at a critical point

[Corndog89]

I posted this a few months ago, but it bears repeating on this thread.

I was calling a boys varsity game between two good teams (visitors went to the FL 4A state final four that year) in a cramped, packed small town Florida gym 4 years ago. Game management was usually hard to find in most of these gyms and this one was no exception.

Visiting team brings the ball in to start the 2nd half, swings it around the top to their best player (A1) in the corner who shoots a 3-pointer next to their bench. I'm C on that side standing right next to their coach. As A1 elevates, two kids about 8-9 years old come running in from the lobby across the corner of the floor right in front of and kind of up and under the shooter and then straight into the stands. There were no defensive players within 5-6 feet of A1. I wasn't sure what to do, but I didn't want to blow the whistle as he was going up for his shot and possibly deny him a 3-pointer. He missed the shot but his team got the rebound. As they took the ball back out top to set up their next play, the coach (a very good coach who focused much more on coaching than on ref-baiting) just looked at me in disbelief and asked what I was going to do. I told him I didn't want to deny the shot, and besides, I wasn't sure what to do. He actually said he had no idea either, and since his team got the rebound he seemed happy and let it go.

Are small town gyms the best or what?

[drinkeii]

I guess i'm looking more for how to handle it during a regular season game... in our area, there's gyms small enough that something like the other situation could happen, intentionally or not.

[Back In The Saddle]

My initial reaction is the same as Rainmaker's. Take charge, get both coaches together and tell them that because of the interference against a shot that could have gone in and won the game, but also might not have, we're going to decide the game in overtime. Jump ball in one minute, Guys; good luck! I think I'd handle it that way during the season as well.

[SmokeEater]

My initial reaction is to stop play due to the interference. If you can determine the action was to favor one team or the other and intentional, then a T is waranted. Otherwise I would go with who had possesion or use the alternating possesion arrow to get the play going again.

Again thats just my initial reaction. I don't know if there is anything inthe rules to support any of this.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by SmokeEater

My initial reaction is to stop play due to the interference. If you can determine the action was to favor one team or the other and intentional, then a T is waranted. Otherwise I would go with who had possesion or use the alternating possesion arrow to get the play going again.

Again thats just my initial reaction. I don't know if there is anything inthe rules to support any of this.

According to the OP, this happened right at the end of the game. The shot was intended to be a buzzer-beater.

[ChuckElias]

This is a very tough situation. If the game was tied and the shot was for the win, I wouldn't do anything and we'd just go to OT. If the shot was by the team that was trailing, that's a much tougher scenario. There's no rule that would allow you to award points for this. In a regular season game, it's much more likely that the person who threw the ball would be rooting for the other team, so you have the T at your disposal.

If, for some reason, you couldn't justify the T, you could suspend the game with whatever time was on the clock (which I realize was very little, if any)and write a report and let the league determine how to finish the game. That's not a very appetizing option, though.

I don't know what you really could do, except assess the T.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by ChuckElias

This is a very tough situation. If the game was tied and the shot was for the win, I wouldn't do anything and we'd just go to OT. If the shot was by the team that was trailing, that's a much tougher scenario. There's no rule that would allow you to award points for this. In a regular season game, it's much more likely that the person who threw the ball would be rooting for the other team, so you have the T at your disposal.

If, for some reason, you couldn't justify the T, you could suspend the game with whatever time was on the clock (which I realize was very little, if any)and write a report and let the league determine how to finish the game. That's not a very appetizing option, though.

I don't know what you really could do, except assess the T.

Yeah but if it was a 3 pt attempt at the buzzer the T means nothing, doesn't it?

This is an ugly situation. I hope it happens to you before it happens to me.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

Yeah but if it was a 3 pt attempt at the buzzer the T means nothing, doesn't it?

This is an ugly situation. I hope it happens to you before it happens to me.

Make it a 3 shot T.