T Up a Fan?!?

[TimTaylor]

Our instructions in the event of a player injury are to stop play and beckon the coach/trainer onto the floor, then step away from the situation and let them deal with it. Our time is better spent keeping track of what is going on with the rest of the players while the coach's attention is focused elsewhere. Penalize the team with a T for a concerned parent coming onto the floor? - no way! Distance from the situation can be your friend - if the officials are not in the immediate area, then they can't easily be approached by an upset parent. That alone will give them a chance to think twice before saying or doing something stupid. If they do it anyway, then their actions should be dealt with by game management in the same manner as they would with any other unruly fan.

Dealing with fans in general is the responsibility of game management. While the officials do have the authority under the rules to assess a T for fan behavior, it should be as a last resort. If a fan becomes aggressive or unruly and game management can't or won't control it, maybe, but even then I'd prefer to get law enforcement involved and let them deal with it. Further penalizing a team for the actions of an angry or unruly fan or fans has the potential of throwing gasoline on the flames.