Game Announcers ...

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

It's only going to get worse, if nobody does anything about it.

So do something about it. Use 2-3 if you need to.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

And most of the play by play was not unsporting...

Certainly not, if you're a play-by-play or color analyst. Players don't hear such things until they see/hear a recording after the game.

However, when you're a PA announcer, making such comments to a crowd could easily distract a player, and that's indeed unsporting, IMO. That's not the role of the PA announcer. From me, I'd tell game management "not again" once. After this, citing 2-8-1, removal and/or a T is justified, I say.

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Certainly not, if you're a play-by-play or color analyst. Players don't hear such things until they see/hear a recording after the game.

However, when you're a PA announcer, making such comments to a crowd could easily distract a player, and that's indeed unsporting, IMO. That's not the role of the PA announcer. From me, I'd tell game management "not again" once. After this, citing 2-8-1, removal and/or a T is justified, I say.

A T here is a last resort, if that. jmo

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

So do something about it. Use 2-3 if you need to.

The citation reference is great, but how about a definition to back me up? Why should an official prohibit (not unsporting) play by play by the announcer? I know the answer in my heart, but I would like an answer in my brain, as well.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bainsey

That's not the role of the PA announcer.

I don't think so either. We agree. But without guidelines from a state interscholastic sports governing body, how can we back up our decision to prohibit this type of (not unsporting) announcing?

Foul shots? OK. Field goals? OK. Assists? OK. Personal fouls? OK. Team fouls? OK. One minute warning? OK. Personal point totals, and fouls at halftime? OK. Most of us that have been around the block a few times can agree on that, I'm sure.

Now let's have some fun. Steals? Rebounds? Blocked shots? Nice screens? "Assist" before an assist? Scores from other conference, or league, games going on at the same time? Do you see where this is going? Who says what can, or can't, be announced?

If you want to leave it up to me, as the referee, in that game, that night, fine. I'll do my best. But what's to keep this from becoming one of those issues like the "Fashion Police"? "The official the other night let her play with that on."

[SCalScoreKeeper]

At my school we only announce the starting five for the teams and play ball.There are a couple of announcers in our league who do play by play but stay far away from giving commentary like this guy.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The citation reference is great, but how about a definition to back me up? Why should an official prohibit (not unsporting) play by play by the announcer? I know the answer in my heart, but I would like an answer in my brain, as well.

Call it an artificial noisemaker then.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Call it an artificial noisemaker then.

If that doesn't work for some reason, then 2-3 should work.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Call it an artificial noisemaker then.

The playing of music/sound effects shall only be permitted during pregame,
time-outs, intermission and post-game. The use of artificial noisemakers shall be
prohibited.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Who says what can, or can't, be announced?

To some degree, we can.

If you find the announcer to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct, deal with it. IMO, distracting players with opinions, as opposed to mere facts, is unsportsmanlike.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bainsey

To some degree, we can. If you find the announcer to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct, deal with it.

Unsporting makes it easy to deal with. Anything left, or maybe right, of that, along the "announcing spectrum" can present problems of interpretation.

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Foul shots? OK. Field goals? OK. Assists? OK. Personal fouls? OK. Team fouls? OK. One minute warning? OK. Personal point totals, and fouls at halftime? OK. Most of us that have been around the block a few times can agree on that, I'm sure.

Now let's have some fun. Steals? Rebounds? Blocked shots? Nice screens? "Assist" before an assist? Scores from other conference, or league, games going on at the same time? Do you see where this is going?

[chseagle]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

I had a big city, girls varsity, game last week. Not a big game. Just a big city. Midweek game, just a few dozen fans in the crowd. Game starts with the announcer doing a great job announcing the starting lineups, the coaches, and introducing the National Anthem singers. I turn to my partner and say to him, "This guy's going to really pump up this crowd."

I seldom actually listen to game announcers, but I noted a few odd "announcements" during the first period. Not only would he announce points, assists, personal fouls, and team fouls, but he would occasionally add in some comments, like, "That was a great steal by Mary Smith". I mentioned to my partner between periods that the announcer may be going over some editorial "line in the sand", but we decided to just let it go.

Same thing in the second period. The announcements are hard to describe, but they are like the games that some of us may have seen back when ESPN used to broadcast those "And One" games, where the announcer is actually on the playing court with a wireless microphone. We also have a summer "proam" league here, with local professional, and college players, in the same city where this varsity high school game was played, and they also utilize an announcer on the playing court.

My partner, and I, discussed this at halftime, and we decided that there were no NFHS rules being broken here, and to just let it go, with a report to our assignment commissioner to follow after the game.

Well, with the home team up by a wide margin in the second half, the announcer decided to take it up a notch. The visiting fans seemed to take offense at some of the announcements. They didn't complain directly to us, there was just an uneasy murmur in the crowd. The straw that broke the camel's back was the following, "How could she miss both free throws?", after a visiting player missed both free throws. My partner, the referee, went over to the table and told him to cease and desist.

After getting our report, our assignment commissioner backed us up 100%, and told us that he would contact the school, also telling them to cease and desist.

Anybody else ever run into this problem? Are there any NFHS rules that define what game announcers can, and cannot announce? I don't believe that we get any guidance from our state interscholastic sports governing body in regard too this. Do other states have such guidelines in place?

Like others have said, the person is not announcing some StreetBall/And1/SlamBall game where it's the primary purpose of the PA to keep the crowd pumped up.

Standard PA here for pregame is to do general announcements, a sportsmanship statement (or 2), & the lineups following by National Anthem Singer(s)/Musicians or saying of Pledge of Allegiance.

During the game, announce who scored/fouled, school district event announcements, & other general announcements. I have not heard once the mentioning of the PA saying anything unsporting (incite undesirable crowd reactions). At the end of the game thank everyone for attending, and remind everyone of the next home game.

Like others have said, Rule 1-18 applies in this case as the PA is using the microphone to project his/her voice.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Unsporting makes it easy to deal with. Anything left, or maybe right, of that, along the "announcing spectrum" can present problems of interpretation.

The list of announcing options you provide look fine to me, provided that they stick with the facts, and lay off opinions and editorials. I think it's really as simple as judging sporting/unsporting behavior, nothing more.

[Rufus]

This same thing happened in a MS game for me a couple of years ago. My partner and I were doing the last 2 games of a 4-game set and the PA lady was doing play-by-play over the sound system (and I thought Dick Vitale was tough to listen to). I informed the crew at half-time of the second game (they were new officials looking for feedback) that she needs to stick to points/fouls/etc. only. They informed her and she ceased the play-by-play.