Michigan State-Columbia trick
 

MSU students chant wrong shot clock time

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I know this is a college game, but bear with me here...

I can't say for sure, but I thought there was something in the NFHS rulebook about home fans getting out of line, and costing the home team a technical foul. If this happened, can we or should we do anything?

No

+1. No way I do any about this.

So what would you say to the opposing coach if he/she brought it up? Just, "sorry, coach, there's nothing I can do"?

Contain myself from laughing at them, then walking away with the "look."

Peace

"Nothing wrong with that coach."

Yep.

No coach would even complain about it above the elementary school level.

Where do you ref? LOL

Apparently, in the first half of the game they start counting down from 6 when the shot clock says 10. Then in the second half they start counting down from 10 when the shot clock says 6.

Bryan, there is no way a coach would complain about in any type of competitive environment.

It's nice that you officiate in a place where coaches know all the rules, and therefore would not question you about things like this. But there are a number of coaches I've come across in JV ball (where I mostly ref) that question rules that I personally think are obvious.

But thank you for your constructive responses.

Can't speak for HS since we don't have the shot clock at that level, but I've seen a number of college coaches use their own signal or codeword for a low shot clock, which might negate the crowd's fake call.

1. You gotta admire the students a little for organizing such a thing.

2. Shame on the players for being taken in by this once, let alone twice.

You'll Take Out Someone's Eye ...
 

Like my grandmother used to say, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me".

While I agree that some coaches can ask about some obvious things, I find this particular situation to be *almost* outside the realm of possibility. Any coach who asks about this would get a curt (and incredulous) "no" and probably forfeit his / her right to ask anything else that night.