Fan Ejection

[Eastshire]

If I've asked the GM to remove a fan (rather than just to shut them up), it's because the game cannot continue with them there.

To those who say it's not fair to the innocent fans to have to wait, what about those fans who now cannot see the game because of the people standing in the way trying to remove the unruly fan?

If you resume the game, you're making the GM's job much harder because you are taking away leverage for getting the fan out without force.

It's also very surprising that a varsity basketball game doesn't have at lease one officer there on duty in the first place.

[Remington]

Here is the rule and I actually really like how it is worded and basically asks you not to use it. I did see a T called in a district tournament when a father of a player was using the F word and and standing trying to intimidate an official (after refusing to be removed by the game administration). It was amazing how fast the man's son got his butt out the door when the T was called. It is rare, but it definitely can happen........ Just for fun, here's the rule:


2.8.1 SITUATION:

What guidelines should be exercised by the officials when spectators' actions are such that they interfere with the administration of the game?

RULING: The rules book states "the official may rule fouls on either team if its *supporters act in such a way as to interfere with the proper conduct of the game." It is significant to note the word used is "may." This gives permission, but does not in any way imply that officials must call technical fouls on team followers or supporters for unsporting acts. Thus, while officials do have the authority to penalize a team whose spectators interfere with the proper conduct of the game, this authority must be used with extreme caution and discretion. While the authority is there, the official must rarely use it, because experience has demonstrated that calling hasty technical fouls on the crowd rarely solves the problem and may, in fact, result in penalizing the wrong team because the official may not have proper knowledge as to which team's supporters were responsible for the unsporting act.

COMMENT: Responsibility for the behavior of spectators is that of home or game management. The rules book stipulates that insofar as the management can reasonably be expected to control the spectators, it is its responsibility to do so. Home management has the responsibility of providing a site where the game can proceed in a sporting manner. If the conduct of spectators prohibits the orderly continuance of a game, the officials should have a representative of game management take whatever action is necessary. This may require the removal of a team follower(s). This can be done without charging the supporters' team with a technical foul. The advised procedure is for the official to notify game management as to which follower(s) must be removed from the site. The officials may stop the game until host management resolves the situation. Another problem arises when team supporters throw debris, paper, coins, ice or other items on the floor. If the official has positive knowledge as to which supporter(s) threw the items, the official should instruct game management to have the supporter(s) removed from the site. As in the previous case, this can be done without charging the supporters' team with a technical foul. If the official does not have positive knowledge, the official should instruct game management to make a public address announcement stating that the next time debris is thrown on the floor, it will result in a technical foul charged to that supporters' team and will also result in the supporter(s) being removed from the facility. If after the announcement, the situation is not brought under control, the officials may also stop the game until host management resolves the situation. In most situations, after an announcement has been made, game management is very aware of the problem and will usually have positive knowledge as to which supporter(s) threw the items on the floor. If the disruption is not brought under control and the contest cannot safely continue, rather than assess several technical fouls, officials are advised to suspend the game.