Illinois H.S. post-game brawl

[Rich1]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

If the brawl happened with coaches and parents watching, what makes you think officials would have been able to stop these kids from a fight if the officials were still on the floor?

Maybe it wouldn't make a difference, but maybe it would...

I still work 20-30 games each winter for the rec league I started in years ago and we never leave the court. At the end of each game we stand and watch the kids go by and shake hands. I can work 5 games in a row ages 10 - 16 and have never seen a problem.

Of course, I am not saying this would always be the case in "real" basketball but I am in the camp that believes the mere presence of referees may help stem the urge to act/react. Most players are trained to respond to the whistle so a very loud crack at the first sign of trouble might be just enough.

In addition, penalties for these types of unporting acts need to be harsh. Players, fans, coaches and schools should be held to very high standards that include multiple game consequences. As a former coach, I never had these problems because I nipped them in the bud early. But, in today's game where coaches are trying to manage a bad apple because he is a super star, I can guarantee the decision of whether or not to keep a kid on the team would be made a lot easier if I were held accountable for ALL of his actions and might be suspended a few games if he earned a write up after thegame was over.

Aswith all of the other rules & procedures in basketballl. When it starts getting called and getting handled, players and coaches will adjust and the problem may mostly go away.