Pregame running under the basket...

[brainbrian]

I'm also Missouri and I remember this being talked about at the rules meeting I believe 2 years ago.

[BillyMac]

This is the only limit we have here in Connecticut. It's from our high school athletics governing body:

Team members are not allowed to congregate at midcourt during introductions. Officials will direct players to free throw line area in front of respective benches.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by brainbrian

I'm also Missouri.

Isn't "Show Me" some kind of law in Missouri?

[Rich]

In WI starters are introduced visitors first and then home. They are required to stay on their sides of the court. No handshakes during introductions (they all do it before the opening jump).

[Zoochy]

Keith,
This ruling is not just for tournaments. It also applies to regular games. As mentioned by others, Missouri also wants the players to gather on their side of the court during introductions. No Midcourt gathering.

[shishstripes]

This was addressed by NFHS in the Points of Emphasis in 2002-03 and also in 2003-04. I knew I had read this in a rules book before and dug through my pile of older books and found it.

From 2002-2003 NFHS Rules Book:

3. Sporting Behavior -- Pre-game Situations

The committee discussed specific, inappropriate pre-game situations that must be stopped immediately. Coaches must demonstrate leadership by immediately putting an end to these practices. Officials must be prepared to stop these unsporting acts and penalize the offending team(s) if necessary.

Teams are deliberately running through or disrupting the opponent's pre-game warm-up. Teams are also competing for the center circle when entering the court or following player introductions.

• The state or local athletic conference should establish appropriate pre-game procedures and protocols. A policy could be established confining teams to their own free-throw semi-circle for pre-game huddles or rituals or that only the home team utilizes the center circle.
• Coaches should take an active role and establish guidelines for their teams and permit only those pre-game rituals that promote sporting behavior and cannot be interpreted as taunting or baiting the opponent.
• Officials should be prepared to assess a technical foul to a team member/team demonstrating these unsporting acts. The specific innappropriate actions of a few team members may be individually penalized or the entire team may be assessed one technical foul, if they collectively engage in any inappropriate behavior(s). Since all team members are considered bench personnel before the game and during intermissions, the head coach would also be charged indirectly with the techial foul (10-4-1d; 2-8-1).

So regardless if your state did as advised, we are to be prepared to penalize these unsporting acts.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by shishstripes

So regardless if your state did as advised, we are to be prepared to penalize these unsporting acts.

The NFHS Point of Emphasis is kind of ambiguous. One section states that state or local athletic conferences should establish appropriate pregame procedures and protocols. Another part states that officials must be prepared to stop these unsporting acts and penalize the offending teams if necessary.

I'd be careful about unilaterally penalizing a team for running around the entire perimeter of the gym, or some similar pregame activity, without the backing of your state high school athletics governing body, especially since this NFHS Point of Emphasis is no longer in the current rulebook.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'd be careful about unilaterally penalizing a team for running around the entire perimeter of the gym, or some similar pregame activity, without the backing of your state high school athletics governing body, especially since this NFHS Point of Emphasis is no longer in the current rulebook.

Why?

We unilaterally penalize just about all unsporting acts during our jurisdiction, and that includes pre-game also. That's just part of our job description. We don't need a POE or any specific instruction to do that. They're usually judgment calls anyway, and if you judge any act worthy of an unsporting "T", then just call one without bothering to analyze it to death first. Treat it the same as any other "T"----> warn and whack or just whack. In my experience, a warning will usually take care of the problem.

But if you just sit there and watch them though and you do have problems because of it, then those problems are on you.

And note that imo this is another situation that should be brought up with your local association during the pre-season. Get their direction so that everyone in your area is calling it uniformly.

[shishstripes]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I'd be careful about unilaterally penalizing a team for running around the entire perimeter of the gym, or some similar pregame activity, without the backing of your state high school athletics governing body, especially since this NFHS Point of Emphasis is no longer in the current rulebook.

Look at what the POE is asking state associations to adopt procedures for. Has nothing to do with running around the perimeter of the court. And I do understand that the POE is not in the current book but if it is unsporting should we do nothing?

The POE doesn't say to penalize them for running around the perimeter, which I do not think would disrupt their opponents warm-up unless they cut corners where they ran through the other teams warm-up to the point where it is disrupted.

What I pictured and remembered from my years in school was running around the perimeter and when on the opponent's end, cut through the middle of the key straight to center court. Which I remember happening 20+ years ago.

At the same time, how often does this really happen after our jurisdiction begins when we arrive on the court at 15:00?