fans on sideline

[cloverdale]

something that I have run into a few times this year ...high schools kids standing on the sideline of the court instead of in the bleachers...lots of room in the bleachers, loud but not obnoxious...waited for one to step on the court and would have contacted game management...players would not of had a chance to save a ball but could not think of a rule reason to have them set in the bleachers...waited for game mangmt to clean this up but to no avail...any suggestions?

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by cloverdale

something that I have run into a few times this year ...high schools kids standing on the sideline of the court instead of in the bleachers...lots of room in the bleachers, loud but not obnoxious...waited for one to step on the court and would have contacted game management...players would not of had a chance to save a ball but could not think of a rule reason to have them set in the bleachers...waited for game mangmt to clean this up but to no avail...any suggestions?

If they're close enough to be in the way during a hypothetical throw-in between them and the floor, make 'em move. Otherwise, ignore them.

[Jurassic Referee]

See rule 2-8-1NOTE--"The officials may call fouls on either team if it's supporters act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game.

The rest of that rule and case book play 2.8.1SITUATION tell you how to deal with the play. Get game management to put the little darlings back in the stands. If you can't find anybody willing to be "game management", use the head coach of the home team. Just stop the game, and keep it stopped until they're out of your way. Never deal with the fans directly; that's home management's job.

[Nevadaref]

On the Basketball Court Diagram on page 7 of the NFHS Rules Book the following appears:
MINIMUM OF 3 FEET
Preferably 10 feet of unobstructed space outside. If impossible
to provide 3 feet, a narrow broken 1-inch line should be marked
inside the court parallel with and 3 feet inside the boundary.


That is enough for you to insist that these people vacate this area.

[Junker]

Did you ask game management to move them? If you go to this gym often, I'd talk to game management before the game and voice your concerns.

[garote]

Most schools in our state have a rule, that no one is allowed to sit or stand on the first row of bleachers (in any section of the gym).

This is a rule set by the individual regions. My suggestion it to contact your state association and see if that is something they would consider. I would just approach it as a suggestion to help maintain the security of the players, officials, and fans.

As far as while the game is going, I agree with the others. Contact game management, after that let it go and game on.

[daveg144]

2 years ago working an 8th grade girls game. About 100 people in the stands, parents, teachers, etc. on one side of the floor, and about 25 kids (mostly boys) on the other side.

Team A shoots and misses, B-1 gets the rebound and throws an outlet pass up the court. My partner (who was the trail, and has become the new lead) busts his butt down the court. I'm following up on the other side, with my head turned to watch the majority of the players still reacting to the fast break going the other way. At about half-court, I notice my partner on his back, SLIDING up the floor! The play continues, he hops back up and starts officiating again.

At a break, I ask him what happened. He said as he started to run up the court, a kid was jumping out of the bleachers to run on the floor (probably on a dare from a friend) and my partner ran straight into him and flipped over on his back (hence the slide). My partner is about 5'-6" and the kid was probably bigger than he was. They threw the kid out of the game.

After the game, my partner was real sore. As it turns out, he eventually had to have some kind of back surgery (he already had a bad back) perhaps as a result of the "incident". Every time I see this guy I ask him if he's run over any fans lately.

[refhoops]

Last season working a game is a small classic style HS gym, from the outside almost looks large a barn you would see in the rural midwest. Love working games because fans are on top of the court, gym has the feel of a HS gym should. Unfortunately, the sideline opposite the bench there is only about 2-3 feet until the bleachers. I was in position B4 the game right infront of the 6-Man section. I asked them if they could all move up off the floor so my partner and I would not run into during the game. No problems working the game, heard some great originality in there cheers to the opposing team, just a fun game to work. Rather than waiting for the problem to arise and without making a big deal out of it, dealt with a potential issue and used preventive game management in order to prevent any problem.

[deecee]

guess lucky for me im 6'6 210lbs because this has happend couple times in cramped gyms -- and both the times it happened i decleated both kids -- one was actually built like a fullback but he was like 5-8 -- the other one well built like he was a supporting cast member in the school play.
each time made sure there was no immediate opportunity for a score and just blew the clock dead while they gathered themselves up and gave me a look like what was I thinking running on the court. oddly enough when Shakespere got leveled you heard the "Ooooo" from the crowd like it was big hit in a football game. felt bad for the kids but I guarantee you they pay a bit more attention around the ol b-ball court these days.

[Texas Aggie]

They aren't going to be on the sidelines in my games.

[Back In The Saddle]

Had a game a couple years back in a rural school. The cheerleaders were standing along the sideline opposite benches. They started off about 3-5 feet off the floor, but kept drifting toward the sideline. On my way past one time down I asked them to move back. The next time down the floor my parter inadvertently ran one of them over.

Folks on the sidelines may not interfere with the players on the floor, but they can endanger the crew if we have to swing wide and run out of bounds.

BTW, my partner stopped long enough to make sure the girl was okay and overheard one of the other girls say to her fallen commrade, "He told you to move back."

[TimTaylor]

Originally Posted by Back In The Saddle

Had a game a couple years back in a rural school. The cheerleaders were standing along the sideline opposite benches. They started off about 3-5 feet off the floor, but kept drifting toward the sideline. On my way past one time down I asked them to move back. The next time down the floor my parter inadvertently ran one of them over.

I had something similar happen two years ago. I was transitioning trail to lead covering a fast break - had just hit full sprint when one of the cheerleaders stepped into my path. There was no way to avoid her & I knocked her a$$ over teakettle....fortunately she wasn't hurt. After that we made them sit while the ball was live.