New 1-18
 

Is it just me or is the prohibition on announcements one of the dumbest rules out there?

How will this be enforced?

Will it actually be enforced?

1-18 under what rules code? Please provide the wording (if it's FED, I don't have the books yet -- and this might be a year we don't get them in IL)

NFHS
1-18

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. The announcer shall be prohibited from making announcements during the game, such as "two minutes to go."

Underlined part is new.

It will have to be a discussion with the table for the first few games then.

I don't think the part on artificial noisemakers is new (but it might have been moved to this clause).

Define "during the game"?

Does this mean that announcing the player who scored the basket is now prohibited?

It would seem so. This could be a PITA rule.

I would be surprised if many local and state ( or Provincial, in my case) associations didn't issue a directive to supersede this rule.

I think this is much to do about nothing. I think it is probably to prevent announcers to constantly talk when it is not necessary. Another rule that is vague and until now doubt anyone would notice this wording was changed. I do not see myself doing anything different and would not be surprised if it is not addressed at all. And if it is addressed, there probably would be a clarification.

Peace

I wonder if the powers that be realize how open-ended this rule reads. As constable said, it would put all PA announcers out a job if interpreted strictly. :confused: Maybe NFHS will issue a case play for this to help clarify.

Maybe it's better I'm officiating now. A few years ago, I did stats for a pro-am league and was required by rule (modified NBA) to do the 2 minute announcement and it has stuck with me ever since whenever I've been on the mic.

Fortunately, I doubt I'll have to address this in the next game I officiate... MS girls next week. :D

This is straight from the new editorial change in the current Rulebook.

The announcer shall be prohibited from making announcements while the clock is running during the course of the contest

So while the ball is essentially live, the announcer is quiet. No more "Jane Doe with a 3 pointer"


Just don't get the NFHS sometimes.

That is the way I read it too. But that seems awful restrictive and silly. I get it if they are interfering, but I do not see why you would not allow them to announce a basket made near the end which could be brief and the ball could be live. I think the NF just troubled, trouble.

Peace

+1

I'd be curious to know the impetus for the rule. Even if this was written to address problems with PA announcers, it seems like this went too far and opens more cans of worms than it closes.

Easy. PA announcers treating the game as though it’s an And-1 mix tape and, my guess is, a few others commenting on calls. Someone called Indianapolis and the rest is NFHS rule history.

I had a BV game near the end of the ’11-12 school year where there was a student handling the PA and he was basically doing play-by-play during the action as though we were in the park. I told him to stop and he said no one had complained about it all season, which I can believe.

Boom Goes The Dynamite ...
 

I've had this (above) exactly once in thirty-two years, with no other problems in almost a thousand of high school games. What's wrong with, "East Oshkosh basket by Joey Smith. Assist from Johnny Jones", after a score?

Billy, what you’re describing will be the test case and I don’t see anything wrong with it. It would seem if a school’s game management has a question about “Basket by X, assist from Y, Team Z leads 32-22” those in charge should give a call to Indianapolis to find out exactly what’s allowed.

Nothing to my mind.

What's wrong (imho) is:
"East Oshkosh with the ball, Johnny Smith dribbling up the floor, passes to James Jones who's double teamed, passes to Bill Baxter who's wide open in the corner - THREE!!!!!!!"

Those announcers who think they are on the radio (whose listeners can't see the action) are annoying.

If that is true, then address that issue. Otherwise I do not see this as a problem. I have never really been in a game where there is play-by-play at the high school level for sure. Usually they comment on who made a basket and who fouled. Otherwise I do not even notice them. And when the game gets close, I really do not hear them. But to just make a rule for the last seconds when it would be a similar problem in the middle of the game seems to overreach.

Peace

Who said anything about the final seconds? I missed that.

If you are outlawing what happens in the final two minutes, you are worried about the final seconds too.

I just do not see this as a problem that many are doing or where it interferes with players in critical moments.

I will use the wording APG referenced in the rule.

Peace

Editorial Comments ???
 

How about, "Oh no. How could she miss that free throw"?

The play by play bothered me the entire first half. I was only the umpire and the referee decided, at halftime, to just leave it alone. Until we heard this (above), and then he shut it down as fast as he could run to the table. We both followed up with phone calls to our assigner, who agreed with us and said that he would contact the athletic director the next morning and back us both up.

I agree with others...nothing. If I were to have that in my game, I wouldn't even bat an eye.

I probably would not be that aware that even took place.

Peace

Decades and decades ago, I had the PA announcer removed from a women's Div. I game because he would announce who committed the foul before either my partner or I even had reported the foul to the Table. The problem was this: He would do this whenever there was a foul was committed in the "paint" where there would be a group of players and he would always be wrong. The Head Coaches would listen to him and then get upset with my partner or me when we would report a different player. I told him to wait until we had reported the foul but he told me he could do whatever he wanted. To make matters worse we knew each other personally because he was the PA announcer at the Univ. of Miami's Mark Light Field. Needless to say, I did not lose any sleep over it.

MTD, Sr.

Premature Announcement ...
 

Same problem in a high school game. I didn't have announcer removed, I just asked him to delay the announcement for few seconds until I reported the foul.

Hey Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.: Why didn't you just take the megaphone away from him.

I’m 99.9% certain the PA announcer being a student is the only reason the BV thing happened in my game. He probably did the running commentary in the park during the summer and thought it was okay. My guess is he didn’t do PA for every BV game – I’d have to think someone in stripes would’ve told him to stop before I did…in February. But now I do remember mentioning it to a couple of officials that offseason and getting responses like, “Oh yeah, that kid, yeah, I let him do it.” Gee guys, thanks.

Gee, Thanks Guys ...
 

This post (above) could have just as easily been about illegal equipment; headbands, wristbands, undershirts, jewelry (rings, earrings, necklaces, etc.), arm sleeves, leg sleeves, tights, decorative hair ribbons, etc. "But Mr. BillyMac, Mr. DeNucci, who refereed our game Tuesday night, let us wear different color headbands".

I don't care what the damn "Fashion Police" rules are, let's all (locally) just cover them with same consistency. If a rule on Tuesday is similar to a rule on Friday then let's call it the same way both nights. Wait? I'm being told ... What? A different thread? Never mind.