Don't mess with the band...
 

OK to be frank...don't "bleep" with the band.

Common sense fellas...

Last Friday the visiting team arrives at the game site. The calipers (sp?) in the bus carrying band and equipment overheats. Smoke everywhere. Fire engines called to the game site and everybody thought the bus was going to go up in flames.

Band director comes up to me (I'm the R). "Ref, you see we have a problem. My kids came to play. Can you please start a few minutes late so they have a chance to play."

My response..."absolutely, take your time!"

Kids in uniform....perhaps shocked to see their bus nearly go up in flames....ready to play....football can wait. We started the game at 7:15 instead of 7. Both coaches understood and supported my decision.

Common Sense! Don't be a jerk. It's about the kids.

My only comment is that this should have been a decision made by the administrations of both schools.

As a band dad I have a couple of questions. Does the visiting band always play pre-game? Do they also play at half-time?

Around here, pre-game is reserved for the home band. The visiting band usually gets to march at half-time, but sometimes they are moved to post-game if the home team has something special planned for half-time. If the visiting band marches at half-time, they go first then the home band gets the remaining time. Most visiting bands are off at the ten minute mark, but some go way over and the home band has to cut their show.

It really depends on what your state association wants you to do. In my neck of the woods the away team plays prior to the contest and the home band plays at halftime.

We know an R who once intervened. I forget whether he made the band get off the field or threw a flag for the home team not being on the field on time. He received a "memo" from the state who didn't approve of him "bleeping with the band" as he says it.

Now I did once have a homecoming last 30 minutes while I worked as the clock operator. Again, the R used good judgement in not lousing up the homecoming activities but he definitely reported this to the state association who took action. I was the R in a subsequent year and was firm with the AD prior to the contest that he needed to get everyone off the field within the 20-minute timeframe.

Now if one of the teams decide to make a "grand entrance" into the stadium 10 minutes after they were ordered onto the field, then it's an unsportsmanlike foul against that team.