Music and commentator
 

Two different schools I have called at this year.

One has a DJ (lack of better term) that plays the music all the way up until I actually hand the ball to the thrower in. This is High School. I haven't said anthing to game management, but the music is so loud that afer a TO or to start the Quarter, I blow the whistle to get everyones attention. Hoping the music will stop. It plays until I hand the ball to the player, then it sort- of fades away. It started playing during a visitors free throw and I had to stop the game. Looking back on it, I should have called a T on the home team. The visiting coach was slobbering on the back of my shirt when the music started. He was livid. Funny thing is, I had went to the DJ before the game started and asked him about his equipment and just sort-of chewed the fat with him, then reminded him when the appropriate time for music was. I believe that this is walking a thin line.

Second school has an announcer for the VB. I know of the guy. Veteran announcer for many of the Teams in the Houston area. He's been around for years. He's does some college and NBA. He's an arena announcer. This upscale Prep school invited him to do one of their games. It started out with the announcing only during dead balls, but later in the game, I heard the quips after the home teams basket. Then he would do the same on the visiting teams basket. I didn't say anything because it wasn't a district game. My co-official didn't think there was anything wrong with it when I talked to him about my discomfort with it. I believe that according to the NFHS, this is a direct violation of the rules. I've talked to several other officials since this and they have stories of other schools that are doing similar things. Am I just old school or is this illegal?

I have done lots of games with an announcer. In fact, way back when I was playing we had an announcer. I even did the announcing during the freshman tournament in my home town. Nothing wrong with it.

As for the music, it would have been more than appropriate to get game management and have them instruct the DJ that no music will be played other than during TOs and intermission and for him to stop the music as teams are exiting their huddles. IMO, a T is unnecessary unless it doesn't stop. Others may surely disagree.

Therein lies the problem. The first time the music plays longer than it's supposed to, get to the site admin and let them know when music is appropriate. If the DJ does it again, tell site admin the DJ is done for the night. Let him/her correct the DJ's behavior.

What kind of "quips?" In general, announcing is legal.

Most of the time it's a simple "number 23, John Doe!" for the visitors, and home, but if it's a high tension play it's more of the " number 23 joooooooooooooooooohn Doooooooooeeeeeeeeeee........."

I equated this to the case book on sounds from the scoreboard or announcer, such as breaking glass on a missed shot. As the new trail, I might be at mid court by the time his exclamation ended... It just annoyed me. We're in a gym and everyone saw the shot go in. It's high school. Maybe I need to count my grey hairs, wrinkles and quit listening to my Buffalo Springfield 8 tracks...... Gosh, am I that out of touch? (closing in on 50)

Apparently. I'd let the announcing go.

Sounds pretty typical...Reminds me of a tournament game I worked late last year. The announcer sounded more like a commentator and would "announce" rebounding action, passes and other various actions. Our crew took about three minutes of it before realizing what he was actually saying and when he was saying it. Our R went over to the table on a time-out and asked him to stop. The announcer was very insulted and informed us that he was a co-organizer of the tournament and that no one had a problem with and so on. In a very dipolmatic way, he was told the keep his mouth shut other than announcing the basket and fouls during our game. He complied but started up during the next game and the crew working that game didn't seem to care.

As a HS/Juco PA announcer, I'll admit that in an exciting game, I might hang on my words a little bit more when my team scores (especially on a 3-pointer), but not for that long. I'm from the "less is more" school of PA announcing, and try to not let any announcements linger too long.

One of my pet peeves is announcers who keep on talking in a FT situation after the ball has been put at the disposal of the shooter. If the refs are moving the game along quickly, I'll just work in the foul announcement quickly after the FT's, or if I can't get the shooter's name out, oh well. But I've never heard of a ref admonishing or being concerned about a PA announcer for the things the OP brought up.

As a coach, I'd be livid too if the music started while a player was at the FT line (although I don't think I'd slobber all over you.:D ) In my area for HS, music is basically prohibited except at pre-game at halftime.

Last night, had a D3 game at a state school. Home team came out hyper-aggressive for the 2nd half and had 5 team fouls in the first 3:30 of the half. After one foul, the PA announcer said, "Another foul on State". My partner asked him to kindly refrain from editorializing.

Announcers don't bother me as long as they call the action and get it right. I did a boys JV game at a small Christian school a couple weeks ago that used an announcer. He got carried away a few times but nothing bad........except for two:

1) He announced a 2-point basket as a 3-pointer. Not necessarily a big deal but he announced the "3" as the ball was entering the basket and before a 3-point signal was given (I guess he missed the lack of the 3-point preliminary signal as well). I mentioned it to him and he apologized.

2) Then, late in this close game, he announced an "Intentional" foul on a visiting player before my partner had even gotten into the box to report the foul. You guessed it, there was no intentional foul. True, B1 (visiting team) did put his arms around A1 (home team ball-handler) at mid-court, but my partner & I both had a personal foul on B1 for illegal contact while reaching for the ball before he wrapped up the offensive player. (And just to note, he released A1 quickly and didn't take any other actions that may have warranted a T). A1 goes to the foul line (double bonus) with the attendant rebounders on either side of the lane. Based on the "announcement", home coach loudly says "I thought that was an intentional foul". I stepped from the lane toward his bench and very loudly stated that there was NO intentional foul, that B1 had made a basketball move for the ball and that the announcer had erroneously announced an event that had never happened. I pointed to the table and again very loudly announced for the whole gym to hear (it was a small gym) that the officials, not the announcer, actually make the calls. The announcer was silent for the last minute or so of the game.

I warned the V officials to be ready for this guy.

I for one like the music during pregames and intermission. During timeouts, No. If played during timeouts, I would usually tell the table that the music has to be off at the first horn.

What if the Visiting Coach informs you that the music is so loud that he can't communicate with his team during the time-out? Would you talk to game management about it?

I've got no problem instructing game management to turn down the music if it truly is too loud to communicate.

Yes, that would definitely be a no-no.

I was at a game the other night and the announcer would count down the time at the end of each quarter, I believe starting at ten seconds, such as, "ten seconds remaining...7..6..5..4..3..2..1" . Is this allowed under NFHS rules?