Pre-Game Team Entrance Lap: T?
 

In our online state clinic it was mentioned that an emphasis on "sporting behavior" now includes a)the team taking a pre-game lap when entering the floor b)huddling at the midcourt circle and c)using the entire floor after the other team leaves the floor. These are now not allowed. What I'm not clear on is how to enforce and/or penalize it.

First, since teams enter the floor before 15:00 minutes A is probably moot. However, it's not uncommon for teams to run the 3-man weave on using the entire floor if the other team is gone. Are we going to call a T for unsporting behavior?

Has this come up in all states?

Yup

Our clinic included that teams are to stay on their half of the court during warm-ups regardless that the other team is not present.

So did ours, but no penalty was described if they did. Figures.

Is it a direct on the head coach?

I think the state wants it reported so they can deal with it. Must really becoming a turf problem of some sort.

Here in CA we were told that teams are to warm-up only on their side of the court, no matter if the other team is on the floor or not.

As for the pre-game lap around the court, we were instructed that this is not allowed at any time. The rationale we were given is that this is a form of intimidation and should be penalized as an unsporting act with a technical foul. I believe we were instructed that it is charged directly to the head coach, but I will double check this.

Entering the Wayback Machine....

They first had this as a POE back in 2002-03 when the NFHS rulesmakers identified it as becoming a problem. From that POE, the FED's instructions to us was that: "Officials should be prepared to be assess a technical foul to a team member/team demonstrating these unsporting acts. The specific inappropriate 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 technical foul."

Having cited that, I'd still recommending contacting your state office for direction.

My instinct would to instruct the HC to stop, and issue a direct T to the HC if he doesn't comply; but that requires the HC to be around.
I would just add to the chorus of "contact your state." They may want you to go directly to the T, or they may want you to give the coach a chance to remember the new policy.
I'm surprised this is an issue; we ran the full court 3 on 2 on 1 drill when the other team went to the locker room; and it was never an issue.

So here's a question for everyone.

My alma mater has been doing the full court lap for warmups since before I attended there, what can be done to cease this "unsporting" activity since it is actually illegal to do?

If you're close enough to the coach to be able to talk to him, you can mention it. If the coach isn't open to your comments, don't bother. It seems like you're on good terms with the AD, so you could always ask him, in casual conversation, what the team has implemented to replace the full court warmup lap.

On game night? Do nothing, say nothing, to anyone. Don't stop the team from doing it; you're an impartial judge. Don't "remind" the officials to enforce the rule; you aren't really privy to the instructions they've been given on how to enforce it.

Generally pregame I'm too busy getting things setup/done to pay attention to what happens on the court until approx. 2 minutes left.

I know about the pregame routine however from when I was basketball manager, & before that when my wife was the Boys' Basketball Manager.

Those times I've had the opportunity these past few years to see the Varsity come out, I was either at halftime of a subvarsity game or was not working table at the time.

I honestly wouldn't do anything if I were you. Just let it play out; if the coach isn't smart enough to be aware of the change, he deserves it. I guarantee it'll only happen once. At most, it'll cost two points and one possession.

Just heard back from my association interpreter, and to follow up with my previous post, I was incorrect. The penalty is an indirect charged to the HC, not a direct. Hope this helps some.

So who gets the direct?

The team's scorekeeper.

Darn, now I have to stay awake for pregame warm-ups just in case.

I have little eye stickers I put on over my eyelids, so I can sleep standing up with nobody knowing. Does any other state require officials to take the court at TWENTY minutes?

Yes.

From what I was told, no one does. The penalty is simply an indirect to the head coach.

In NFHS rules, you CAN'T have only an indirect to the head coach. In NFHS, the indirect is only given when a direct technical foul is assessed to a member of bench personnel.

Our state wants it banged since this is not new. The full court lap, huddling in the center circle, full court use for warmups, etc. They want a "T" issued to the head coach and he loses the coaching box. Doesn't matter whether he/she is there or not when it happens.

Duhhh...major brain fart on my part. Good thing I had it now and not during the season :o

Maybe it was a direct to the coach? I'm getting conflicting answers so I'm just going to email the state office.

There is a ruling in the Case Book that says a HC can receive an indirect when the TEAM is charged with a technical foul. Normally, a TEAM technical foul does not count towards the HC in any way, but there are a few instances where it is appropriate for the indirect to be assessed.

This would seem like one of those cases.

BTW POE #2 in this year's book now makes it a national policy whereas the previous policy of the NFHS was to leave this area up to the determination of each individual state association. That's a big deal, if your state didn't have any previous regulations on these activities. Such is the case with Nevada.

This is the first I've seen this, Nevada. You're right, it's a big deal. CO hasn't had a policy that I've been aware of. For those states, it is new, and I wonder if the state offices are going to direct a softer approach the first year.

Generally around here, the floor officials make their presence known after the teams have already taken the court, with between 15-18 minutes left of pregame.

"Make their presence known?" Do you mean simply walk out onto the court? Or is it like Texas, where the officials blow their whistle to let the pampered athletes know it's time to stop breaking the rules?

Sorry, should of clarified...I was meaning they are not present when the teams first come out for warmups. They come out while the teams are in the middle of their warmups.

Might be more a case of the coaches in Texas. Don't want to upset 'em. :)

Ricockulous practice! Find an excuse to ignore a very plainly-written rule that's been in effect umpty-ump years.:rolleyes: Texas wants to change their officials into See No Evil monkeys. If you're not going to follow it, just change the damn rule.

Grumble, grumble, grumble.....

I'm with ya, boss.

Much easier to find out from game management where the teams come out on to the court from and the two umpires can position themselves to make sure the teams straddle the side and go directly onto their half of the court. Try to avoid starting the game with a T. In Pennsylvania, we are asked to be on the floor prior to the teams arrival.

It's not even a request here, where following a JV game, the varsity squads are typically shooting layups before the JV officials even get to the locker room to tell the varsity crew the game is over.
15 minutes is the standard for taking the court.

Frankly, that's how I think it should be handled.

Very similar to dunking or any other "unsporting" act now. What happens when both teams are on the court at 20 minutes, and B12 and A4 start trash talking across the division line? Nothing, because the officials aren't there and aren't required to be there.

So, it a team runs a lap at 20 minutes, it's "wrong" (and a fan or the opposing coach could write the conference / state), but there's nothing for the officials to enforce. IF it happens at 15 minutes (or whenever the officials get there), then enforce it.

Since all players are bench personnel during warm-ups, couldn't a bench technical be called in this case? The Bench T would then be an indirect on the head coach.

Well, lacking direct instructions from your local governing body, we could also follow the directions from the NFHS POE that I cited 3 days ago in post #8 of this thread. It's still valid afaik.

From POE #3 in the 2002-03 rulebook re: pre-game situations:
"The specific inappropriate 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 or during the game, the head coach would also be charged indirectly with the technical foul(10-4-1d; 2-8-1)."
Note that the rules cited to back that POE haven't changed to date. That's good enough for me. I've got something in writing to cover my azz if I follow that POE, not an "opinion".