Fighting
 

A1 and A2 are legally substituted for and are now bench personnel. Once on the bench, A1 and A2 begin throwing a series of punches at each other and cursing at each other. As an official, would you do anything? If so, how would you handle this situation?

Would your ruling or reaction to the situation change if A1 and A2 were legal players on the court while fighting and cursing?

Nope, if they are fighting, they are fighting. They are hitting the showers early in my game. I'd charge a flagrant technical foul to them for fighting, that's an indirect on the coach since they are bench personnel.

The only change is it wouldn't be an indirect on the coach.

Tanner,
Send them to the same shower ? What if no lockerroom supervision is available? :cool:

Are you really saying players from the same team are fighting each other (A1 and A2)? If so, that coach has that team in control.

Good point, in that case, sit'em on the bench.

Isn't it true the NFHS wording on fighting is geared around opponents? I think so but agree - Lock them down somewhere. I also read that next years rule changes will specifically address inter-team fighting.

No place for this on the court.

Fighting is fighting ... against refereee's, opponents, fans, admin, table, cheerleaders or teammates.

Ref Daddy:

You're right. I had to look it up. The NFHS defines "fighting" as "acts that involve opponents", Rule 4-18-1,2.

However, the beginning of this rule states that fighting includes, but "is not limited to", acts mentioned in Article 1 and 2.

Does this mean that we can penalize teammates for fighting, possibly under Rule 10-3-9 "fighting", or under Rule 10-3-7 "unsporting fouls" which also includes the phrase "not limited to" ?

Or perhaps we can't penalize fighting teammates at all ?

Forum members. Help me out. I've always assumed that I could penalize any fighting during a basketball game. Maybe? Maybe not?

Billy--

You can penalize a fight any way you deem it needs to be penalized. If someone questions it, cite Rule 2-3.

i think a fight between teammates that does not effect the game should be the coach's problem. how is a T on that team and 2 ejections going to make any thing better - those 2 kids still have to be on the same bench and the coach still has to deal with them. sounds like this situation is best handled by their coach and program. jmo

Are you serious? Just ignore a <b>fight</b>?

Lah me.....

Let's see that is 2 indirects to the coach. Tell him one more and he can escort those two to the locker room himself.

Bingo, but use R10-4-1 instead to cover bench personnel committing an unsporting foul. That says "bench personnel shall not commit an unsporting foul" and also uses the same "includes but not limited to" language. Whatintheheck could be deemed more "unsporting" than an actual fight, no matter who is fighting?

Just my $0.02, but any team member (includes coaches, players, & other bench personnel) that throws a punch at anyone is history - Flagrant T, no exceptions. If they're bench personnel at the time, HC also gets an indirect. In Oregon, adults are ejected from the venue & players are DQ'd but stay on the bench.

If it solely invloves spectators, then suspend play until game management/security get it under control.

wtf is lah me...why get involved in a teams dirty laundry?

If fighting is defined as something between opponents, not sure I am going to get involved in that either. I really do not care what someone else might do.

Peace