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?