Pre-Game
 

After introduction at a VB game last night - the home team huddled with other students in one end of the gym and did their chant etc...

The 3 offcials are veterans in our association but did nothing.

I thought I read somewhere that beginning this year that type of huddle was no longer allowed - had to be in front of the team bench.:confused:

Was it at the end of the gym where their bench is located?

Was it unsporting?

No
 

It was under the basket in the student cheering section - about 60 feet from their bench - yes it was at the same end of the gym - diagonal from bench.

I don't know where the student cheering section is.

Was it at the end of the gym where their bench is located?

Same End
 

Yes - it was the same end of the gym as their bench

Might be a Michigan thing, but as long as they're on their half of the court, I got nothing.

POE #2 this year says, in part, "Gatherings intended to motivate a team after the warm up period, during, or following player introductions... should be performed in the area directly in front of the team bench."

Whether the basket is considered "directly in front of the team bench" is going to be up to the officials' discretion. OTOH, what would they have done? By the time they talked to the team about moving their little Under Armour chant, the chant would be over.

In PA I would have nothing as well. It is on their end of the court, not the opponent's end.

Since there's a difference in the meaning of "should be" and "must be", I guess that also means there's a difference in the consequence for non-compliance.

Then I've got nothing. They're on their end, they're not doing anything unsporting.

POE have to be taken with a grain of salt. You can't just go out and start this mad enforcement, especially on things that aren't specifically supported by rule. Calling something in this situation is just asking for trouble. Be aware of the POE and act when something unsporting occurs.

Maybe, but the fact that there's no penalty noted for the action puts it in the realm of teams sitting during a 30 second TO. Instruct compliance first; then T after refusal.

With this situation, even if the team is far enough you can't consider it "directly" in front of their bench, by the time you instruct compliance the chant is over anyway.

That Ref: "Coach, your players need to do that chant in front of the bench."
Coach: "well, they're done now, should I have them start over in the proper location?"
That Ref: "Never mind."

Unless your governing body has determined you should go straight to a T, which is highly possible and has, in fact, been instructed for certain pre-game infractions in some jurisdictions.

As long as they are on their half of the court they are "in front of their bench" technically. I wouldn't let them do it on the other half of the court or even on the center circle.

Circle The Wagons ...
 

Not near the center circle here in the Provisions State.