Tenn vs Vandy
 

Watching the game on Vandy's home floor with their very unique setup - huge, wide, raised floor with team benches at the ends of the courts - not the sides. Anyone know the reason behind this setup?

Anyone ever reffed on this type of floor or any other unique configuration?

Seems like the coaches can't chirp as much as the refs presence is minimized? True? Thoughts? Just curious.

I can't get past seeing Bruce Pearl rant from the endline. Odd to watch.

Benches on the sidelines would block the view of fans seated in the front row seats, since the floor is elevated. Fan view is not blocked on the endline.

I believe it's also a traditional thing. I can remember attending HS games as a kid and the benches were on the endline.

The HS I went to up until the early 70's played in an auditorium and the court was literally on the stage. There was a theater type rope to help keep the players on the stage. The benches were where what would be the first row of seats and the the players would run up the steps on either end of the stage to enter the game.

Worked at a school tonight where the benches are on opposite sides of the floor, centered on the division line. Another interesting thing, apparently whoever did the lines on the court just had a diagram of a basketball court which he followed with no regard for special considerations. The coaching boxes are marked in their normal places, tableside, where the benches would normally be located.

Now that's funny. :)

You should have told the two coaches that their benches were over here and that their teams would sit on this side, but if they wished to stand up and coach during the game that they had to run around to the other side and do so from the coaching boxes which are marked on the floor over there. :D

In my first or second year, I worked in a gym that had about 3' of space all the way around the sideline and just a brick wall all the way around with a door on one side at each FT line extended. There was a balcony for spectators. It felt like a prison.

The benches were in their normal spots, but the table was in the balcony directly above where it normally would be on the sideline. When a player wished to check in, he/she would go to the spot directly under the table and pull a small chain. This turned on a light at the scorer's table, indicating a sub was ready to check in so they could hit the horn and notify the officials.

I've worked and played in small gyms, but that was crazy...

I agree that the small gyms are crazy, but I think the chain with light idea is kinda cool.

Yep, it was kind of cool. That was the smallest gym I ever worked in, but not the smallest court.

Smallest court I ever worked on was so narrow that the 3-point line hit the sidelines close to the FT line extended. It was so short that the center circle was within a foot of the top of the key. It had the double backcourt lines on each side of the center circle. I hated that gym...and I both worked in it and played in it once.

My "home court" when I played growing up was the local Community Center with a very small gym.

Absolutely no room around the court for throw-ins as the folding chairs for the benches and spectators were right along the court. Many a time diving for the ball ended up in major collisions with spectators and heaps of mangled chairs. It also had a balcony which made throw-ins difficult for the taller players (not a problem I had).

I remember the main, double-doors for the gym were right under the one basket located very close to the court. If you ran too fast for a layup on occasion you would go right out the doors – and if they weren’t open…….. :eek: Ah, the good/bad ole days.

And if they were open, you could run down the hallway and re-enter the gym using a different door, and be wide open for a three.

C'Mon, you know one of these guys would ring me up for illegally being out of bounds/player leaving the court! ;)

I had one like that...the 3-point line actually went to the sidelines at the FT line extended for about a couple inches.

I can top that one...worked one where the center circle actually touched the top of the key

On another note, I worked a game where the floor was so small, the throw-in was administered on the playing floor marked with the special throw-in restriction lines. Even then, I was stepping on some toes!