Fan Interference

[jeschmit]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

What rule would you use to give a delay of game to the mascot?

Peace

4-27
Followers are fans, bands, cheerleaders and mascots associated with a particular team.

10-2-8
Team followers, as in Rule 4-27, shall not commit an unsportsmanlike act, including, but not limited to, the following:

d.Delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly made live or by preventing continuous play, such as but not limited to, followers entering the playing court before the player activity has been terminated. When the delay does not interfere with play, it shall be ignored.

Note 1: Before penalizing a follower(s) of a team for violating Rule 10-2.8, the officials shall have knowledge as to which team’s follower(s) committed the act.

Note 2: When the misconduct of the follower(s) is extreme or excessive, such behavior may be penalized by the official requesting home/contest management to eject from the premises the team follower(s) involved in the misbehavior. In such a case, a technical foul shall not be assessed.

PENALTY: (Art. 8) Two free throws awarded to the offended team. The ball shall be put back in play at the point of interruption.

My question... does the official sounding his whistle for the follower being on the court constitute the play being interfered with? Or should we go with an IW here and resume play as the follower removed himself from the court?

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by jeschmit

My question... does the official sounding his whistle for the follower being on the court constitute the play being interfered with? Or should we go with an IW here and resume play as the follower removed himself from the court?

My point was there is no rules support for giving a delay of game warning to someone that is not associated with the team. And if they stopped the game for the mascot or fan, they are perfectly in their right to give a T for either. I would just give one for the mascot as that is clear who they are supporting. The fan would just be removed. But there is nothing that says you give a delay for someone coming onto the court. It would be the same if a player off the bench came onto the court and interfered with the game. And as usual, this was on tape. Someone is going to see you either enforced an actual rule or not enforce an actual rule. Welcome to the video age.

Peace

[A Pennsylvania Coach]

Here's the boxscore:

Davis & Elkins vs Fairmont State (1/26/13 at Fairmont, W.Va. -- Joe Retton Arena)

I'd toss the mascot and the fan; I'm leaning toward no Ts for either but I wouldn't have a problem with one. I'd hate to penalize the team for the actions of their followers, but the opponents were put at a disadvantage when play was stopped.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by A Pennsylvania Coach

Here's the boxscore:

Davis & Elkins vs Fairmont State (1/26/13 at Fairmont, W.Va. -- Joe Retton Arena)

I'd toss the mascot and the fan; I'm leaning toward no Ts for either but I wouldn't have a problem with one. I'd hate to penalize the team for the actions of their followers, but the opponents were put at a disadvantage when play was stopped.

Davis & Elkins? Surprised their coach didn't come on the court when this happened. During his HS days he's the only coach I've ever double T'd. 3rd quarter of a game in which he had a 40 point lead.

[JugglingReferee]

The in-bounding team (visitors) wasn't interfered with as a result of the mascot. There was no press - 1 white player is playing loose man-to-man, which is different than a press. In fact, B's in bounds pass was beyond the extent that the mascot was on the court. The scoring team was not disadvantaged (their players already committed to retreating). The non-scoring was not advantaged. Because of those two elements, I wouldn't go with a T wrt the mascot. If anything, the mascot is kicked out of the gym by game management. But once you sound the whistle, if you don't kick him out, and you don't issue a T, then you have to at least warn him. Call it a DOG warning of whatever you want. Bottom line: if he does it again (there may be overtime), it's easier to sell to give him a T.


As for the fan, it should be assumed from only watching the video, that he was cheering for the home team. He ran onto the court, as someone earlier surmised that he (very incorrectly) thought the SC buzzer to be the game clock buzzer, thinking that the game was over and his team won.


The C likely didn't see the fan until much later than his entrance onto the court. Pause it at late 0:24 or early 0:25 - when you first see the fan on the court. At this time, the slot hadn't moved his eyes off the action in the paint at the score, and the subsequent throw-in play in the BC. You can see the new Trail looking in that direction well before the fan exited the floor. The Trail properly waited to see if there was a reason to kill the play, and he did. The fan must be removed if not given a T. But again, if you keep him in the gym, warn him. If you warn him for delaying the game, by no means do I mean it's one of the typical warnings a team received before a T is called. The only disadvantage to the visiting team is having play stopped. Their ability to advance wasn't hindered because they weren't open nearer the basket. So you'd have to earn your $75 to determine if the disadvantage they had is T worthy.

I'd have no issue if a T was given, fwiw.

[Wellmer]

Maybe I was hearing things but why did the shot clock buzzer continue to sound for what seemed like an extended amount of time? No one has addressed this so I thought I would throw this into the mix. What a fiasco.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Wellmer

Maybe I was hearing things but why did the shot clock buzzer continue to sound for what seemed like an extended amount of time? No one has addressed this so I thought I would throw this into the mix. What a fiasco.

Most here go off for a set period of time unless reset earlier by the operator. This one should have been reset.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by jeschmit

My question... does the official sounding his whistle for the follower being on the court constitute the play being interfered with? Or should we go with an IW here and resume play as the follower removed himself from the court?

It wasn't an IW. He blew it for a reason. As for the followers, it's either a T or nothing, there is no support for a DOG warning.

[yooperbballref]

To me the mascot although should not have went onto the court, wasnt hurting anything. The kid in the white shirt is a different story being right in the middle of the play at half court and almost plowing right into the C.