While I agree with you on 2), the distinction that should be made IMO is that you don't penalize "intent", you penalize the act in this case. Regardless of why they leave the bench, if they somehow come to their senses between the time they leave the bench and reach the fracas, if they don't participate, then you can only penalize them for leaving the bench...either way they are gone, but it still matters in terms of adding up the FT's....

This actually leads to an intersting question though, how do you define "participates"? If he pulls a teammate off of the pile did he participate? What if he pulls an opponent off? I realize at that point you are gonna have your hands full and honestly if someone put their hands on someone else, ESPECIALLY an opponent, I am probably going to charge them with participating, but how do you all define "participating"?

Any kind of contact with an opponent.

This is what happens when some coaches and ADs try to interpret the rules all by themselves.

Any player/coach ejected in a PIAA contest is suspended for the next play date. So yes, the coach and the 5 players would all be getting a day off. The PIAA actually changed the rule this year regarding suspensions. It used to be that the player ejection in a game was suspended for any game at any level the remainder of that day (e.g. a JV/V player ejected in the JV game was also done for the V game) and the next game at the level ejected at (so JV/V player would be done for the next JV game, but not the next varsity). Now, the ejected player/coach is done for the rest of the day ejected, plus the entire next play date at all levels. There is some debate about what happens if the JVs and Vs play on different dates.

As far as league vs. regular season game. Each district in PA is divided into sections/conferences/leagues depending on what part of the state you are in. Here in the Western part of the state, most teams play a 14 game section/conference schedule, and approx. 8-10 non-section/exhibition games, which are regular season games, but do not ultimately count towards qualification for playoffs (but do count for seedings).

Iowa, I think, does the ejection thing right. If you get ejected from a game, you miss everything up until you miss the next game at the same level you were ejected from.

IOW, if you get ejected from a JV game, you can't participate at any level until you have served your suspension for the next JV game.

kbilla:

You are correct, you can't penalize intent in this case, but I have never seen a player or coach or other bench personnel, leave the bench and not participate. Why leave the bench, when you have a ring side seat to the fight in the first place. And as the father of two teenage boys, I know that they sometimes don't come to their sense until it is too late. Having said that, I can assure you that my two youngin's are well behaved when it comes to the nonsense that was the subject of the original post. NFHS Baseball Rules stipulate that anybody that leaves the dugout to join a fight on the field is ejected and OhioHSAA Rules stipulate a two game suspension at that level are played before a player can resume play. My older son two years ago incurred the wrath of the Toledo Start H.S. jr. varsity baseball coach because he was the only player that refused to leave the dugout to join a fight on the field. My son set him straight (and so did I later, because to describe this young punk, the coach I mean, as a horse's rear end would be an insult to the two horses that my wife and I have owned). The coach got mad at me because I had taught his son to be a good sportsman. LOL.

Mark, Jr., will take the OhioHSAA umpiring class this winter and the umpires who have umpired his games in the past can't wait for him to join their ranks because he is the only player in his games that has a level head out there. Just a chip off the old block. But I am really looking forward to Thursday of next week when Mark, Jr. and I officiate his first basketball game. We have a boys' jr. H.S. DH and I can't wait for him to carry his "old man" for two games.

MTD, Sr.

Good for you Mark, my first son is only 9mos old and I already can't wait for the day when we get to work our first game together....my wife just shakes her head, but what does she know anyway:D

Or, I'd add, attempting to contact an opponent.

Maz'l Tov, Mark.

I can only begin to describe the exquisite pleasure I derive from working with any of my 3 sons who officiate. Hope your experience is memorable and enjoyable...

Be sure to let us know how it went, and if you owed him any refreshments afterwards!!!!!!

I wonder if the AD had called the assignor or league supervisor of officials that night after the game, and left a message. Then when that assignor or league supervisor called the AD back, that got interpreted as "the head official for the game". Sounds like the reporter didn't really do a very good job of keeping all the facts straight. Didn't talk to both sides.

So for the record... since we have had different posts stating differeing opinions... The correct procedure would have been how many ejections and how many shots?

Sounds like we don't know for sure, since we don't have all the facts.

But is the maximum number of shots 2 like Nevada said, or is it that incorrect?:confused:

errr....OK...that could happen...

Or just maybe one of the officials called the AD like the article said.