Spectator interference at a critical point

[SmokeEater]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Billy, I don't think that there's anything definitively covering it under NFHS or NCAA rules. This is probably one of the very few times that NFHS 2-3 can be used. From a logical standpoint, I'd say that if you were sure that the pass was gonna go OOB untouched, then blow the whistle and give team B the ball OOB at that spot for fan interference. That's seems like the fair call to me and I don't think that you'd get too many arguments over that.

Note that I certainly can't fault you for letting the play continue. That play certainly rates a "whatinthehell?".

I agree with these comments as well. Call the fan interference right away. Give the ball to the defense and move along.

[Official99]

While I disagree with just giving the ball to the defence in this case, I also don't think you can just award an indirect T to the coach. There are many situations that can occur. What if this T is the third T for the coach? Now because of an unsupporting fan, he has to leave?

What ever happens, needs to happen quick. I think this biggest thing between your call going smoothly and having problems is you need to sell it. Make the call. Tell the coaches. Sell it like you've made that call a million times before and move on. You will have to do it quickly, because the last thing a coach wants to see in this situation, is you not knowing what to do!

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Official99

1) While I disagree with just giving the ball to the defence in this case, I also don't think you can just award an indirect T to the coach. There are many situations that can occur. What if this T is the third T for the coach? Now because of an unsupporting fan, he has to leave?

2) What ever happens, needs to happen quick. I think this biggest thing between your call going smoothly and having problems is you need to sell it. Make the call. Tell the coaches. Sell it like you've made that call a million times before and move on. You will have to do it quickly, because the last thing a coach wants to see in this situation, is you not knowing what to do!

1) Where did you come up with that? You're completely wrong under both NCAA and NFHS rules. In both rulesets, if a technical foul is called on a team's fans, that "T" is charged to the team. The head coach doesn't get charged with any kind of technical foul. Re-read what Dan_Ref and Chuck wrote.

2)So......you disagree with giving the balll to the defense. What would you do instead? What call are you going to sell?

[SmokeEater]

Originally Posted by Official99

While I disagree with just giving the ball to the defence in this case, I also don't think you can just award an indirect T to the coach. There are many situations that can occur. What if this T is the third T for the coach? Now because of an unsupporting fan, he has to leave?

What ever happens, needs to happen quick. I think this biggest thing between your call going smoothly and having problems is you need to sell it. Make the call. Tell the coaches. Sell it like you've made that call a million times before and move on. You will have to do it quickly, because the last thing a coach wants to see in this situation, is you not knowing what to do!

Why would you have a problem giving the ball to the defense? The Offense made the pass it was evidently going out of bounds according to the OP (sorry BillyMac's OP). Blow the whistle make your signal, going this way, move along. Of course if D had deflected the pass then thats another story right!

[Official99]

First of all, I appoligize for the confusion. When I made my comments, I thought we were still speaking of the original post which was fan interference during a shot - not a pass intended to be out of bounds. If the ball was intended to go out of bounds, I agree, give it to the defence.

My reference to selling the call would be in the case of the shot. If that were the case, there is no call that any referee makes that is going to make everyone happy.

In regards to the T, I was still speaking of the original post, where the person who threw the object onto the floor was not afilliated with either team. Assessing a T in that situation just doesn't seem fair to me; although it would be allowed by rules.

Sorry for the confusion guys. Thanks for getting all worked up...

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by Official99

In regards to the T, I was still speaking of the original post, where the person who threw the object onto the floor was not afilliated with either team. Assessing a T in that situation just doesn't seem fair to me; although it would be allowed by rules.

Sorry for the confusion guys. Thanks for getting all worked up...

Naw, we don't get worked up. Maybe we do point out rules errors though. As in.....your statement above. The rules, both NFHS and NCAA, do not allow an official to call a "T" on a fan that hasn't been definitively identified as a supporter of one of the teams involved. Dblref quite rightly has already pointed that out. Both of the citations given yesterday by Dan_ref also referred to "T"s given to team followers only, not some guy who just wandered in the door to watch the game and ain't really cheering for one team or t'other.