Not an official, but have a question

[equinox]

Hope I'm not out of line here.

I'm in Texas, and work as a videographer. I also serve on the board of the booster club of a prominent 5A high school football team. As you know, high schools in Texas use NCAA rules for the most part.

Around 9 years ago I was asked to videotape the team from the sidelines for part of an end-of-year highlight video to be shown at the football banquet and made available to parents. I was asked by the head football coach (who also serves as the campus athletic director) to get reaction shots of the team on the sidelines, the game itself, crowd shots, etc. There is also a person who has been taking pictures the past couple of years for the same purpose.

Everything has been okay until the past couple of weeks. The people who run our stadium have begun telling us we cannot under any circumstances enter the team box/area.

It is obviously difficult to grab shots of players up close on the sideline when you can't go in the team box. Not the end of the world necessarily, except those shots are usually of kids who otherwise never see the field.

The only other time this has ever come up was during a game about 6 years ago, when the side judge told me I could not be in the team box. At the half, I asked another official if that was the case and he said if I had been invited to be there by the coaching staff, it was okay.

Tonight, I asked a couple of officials that worked one of our freshman games about it, and got conflicting answers. One said he didn't think it was an issue, the other cited NCAA rules about media. The thing is, I'm not "media".

Our school district stadium policy and guidelines says nothing about the issue.

I know there are rules about viewing video during a game, and that is absolutely not an issue. I make it a point to bag my camera at halftime and in fact usually go hang out with the game officials (free hotdogs and cokes).

So, is this an issue with rules? Or is it just stadium personnel going overboard? I've read both the U.I.L rules (governing body in Texas) and the NCAA rules. I see some things that may apply, but am not sure. What say you?

[JRutledge]

This is not a rules issue, it is an administrative issue. If the people that run a stadium do not want you in a particular place, that is their right to not allow you in a specific place. It is up to your school or coach to make it alright with those administrators or security that have the right to dictate who is on the field. Most officials would not care either way as long as you are not interfering with the game. And it is also possible that your state organization has a policy of people like yourself being on the field and certainly in the team box. I am sure someone can shed more light on your specific state, but as far as I can tell there are no rules that cover this and nor would there be any rules to say who or who cannot be in the team box.

I hope that helps a little bit.

Peace

[HLin NC]

I observed an incident last year at our local FCS university where the home team's roving videographer- pretty sure it wasn't a live feed camera- came into the visiting team's bench area and started recording. The visiting team's security officer shooed them away quickly. They did not want to leave but the security officer (a retired and sworn police officer) wasn't going to take no for an answer. Since they were college kids, they cussed and muttered a bit about their "rights" but eventually departed.

If stadium admin says no then its no. Your team's coach or AD needs to address it if they desire to do so.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by NCAA 1-2-4

Team Area and Coaching Box

ARTICLE 4. a. On each side of the field, a team area in back of the limit line and between the 25-yard lines shall be marked for the exclusive use of substitutes, athletics trainers and other persons affiliated with the team. The front of the coaching box shall be marked with a solid line six feet outside the sideline between the 25-yard lines. The area between the coaching line and the limit line between the 25-yard lines shall contain white diagonal lines or be marked distinctly for use of coaches (Rule 9-2-5). A 4-inch-by-4-inch mark is mandatory at each five-yard line extended between the goal lines as an extension of the coaching line for line-to-gain and down indicator six-foot reference points.

b. The team area shall be limited to squad members in full uniform (see Appendix D) and a maximum of 60 other individuals directly involved in the game. All persons in the team area are subject to the rules and are governed by decisions of the officials (Rule 1-1-6). The 60 individuals not in full uniform shall wear special team area credentials numbered 1 through 60. No other credential is valid for the team area.

c. Coaches are permitted in the coaching box (see Appendix D), which is the area bounded by the limit line and coaching line between the 25-yard lines.

d. No media personnel, including journalists, radio and television personnel, or their equipment, shall be in the team area or coaching box, and no media personnel shall communicate in any way with persons in the team area or coaching box. In stadiums where the team area extends to the spectator seating area, a pass-through area should be made available for media to move from one end of the field to the other on both sides of the field.

e. Game management personnel shall remove all persons not authorized by rule.

(emphasis mine)

So there is rules support for keeping photographers out of the team area. But, IMHO, it's a problem for game management, not for on-field officials.

[Altor]

Originally Posted by equinox

The thing is, I'm not "media".

Just curious, what makes you think this? You certainly aren't a team member, an official, or game administration.

[equinox]

Originally Posted by Altor

Just curious, what makes you think this? You certainly aren't a team member, an official, or game administration.

When I think of media, I think of local news crews, etc. My understanding is that they don't want the local sportscaster down there trying to get in the face of some kid who just got carted off the field, coaches discussing strategy, things like that. I'm not taping anything that will be broadcast later that evening.

[equinox]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

(emphasis mine)

But, IMHO, it's a problem for game management, not for on-field officials.

That gets back to my point about there not being anything about it in the stadium policies and procedures. It seems that if the team wants me to have access to the team area to get those kinds of shots, it shouldn't be a problem.

As far as the rules in the NCAA guidelines it is completely understandable, when you're talking about multiple cameras and operators with all the related equipment used by the typical media outlets like Fox Sports, NBC, etc. In my case we're talking about a guy with a little Handycam.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by equinox

That gets back to my point about there not being anything about it in the stadium policies and procedures. It seems that if the team wants me to have access to the team area to get those kinds of shots, it shouldn't be a problem.

Get the team to issue you one of the 60 team box passes. Problem solved.

[equinox]

Originally Posted by CT1

Get the team to issue you one of the 60 team box passes. Problem solved.

We don't do that now though. Even though Texas plays under NCAA rules, nobody does that (to my knowledge). The only thing our school district issues is a generic sideline pass, with our name on it, that is honored at all of the stadiums throughout our conference.

The other side of the coin is, if I was issued one of those passes, would that then mean I couldn't leave the team box?

[Adam]

Originally Posted by equinox

We don't do that now though. Even though Texas plays under NCAA rules, nobody does that (to my knowledge). The only thing our school district issues is a generic sideline pass, with our name on it, that is honored at all of the stadiums throughout our conference.

The other side of the coin is, if I was issued one of those passes, would that then mean I couldn't leave the team box?

If the coach wants you there, and the site admin doesn't, have the coach talk to the site admin.

Could be a power struggle of sorts.

Or, they could have a valid reason for disallowing it. Have you asked them why?

[equinox]

Originally Posted by Adam

If the coach wants you there, and the site admin doesn't, have the coach talk to the site admin.

Could be a power struggle of sorts.

Or, they could have a valid reason for disallowing it. Have you asked them why?

It is. The head stadium guy has Barney Fife Syndrome.

I appreciate all the responses here.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by equinox

It is. The head stadium guy has Barney Fife Syndrome.

Doesn't sound like there's much you can do, then. Do the best job you can do within the constraints you're given.

Good luck.

[bigjohn]

Time to talk to Andy and get Barney's bullet taken!

[HLin NC]

When in Rome..........

[Adam]

Originally Posted by equinox

It is. The head stadium guy has Barney Fife Syndrome.

I appreciate all the responses here.

Then just talk to the head coach and wait until the pissing match is over. Plus what CT1 said.