Falcons- Bobcats

[Bubba Bo Bob Brain]

I still would like to see NCAA rules on yelling at refs. It seems like cussing at them might be a no-brainer, but ...

[Redwingtom]

I imagine they already have rules. I believe officials have the right to remove anyone from the building at any time.

[AyZiggy97]

I'm not sure where this thread had driven off to. It's certain that there is no First Amendment protection for yelling at referees. At the same time, there would be a lot less people buying tickets if referees started booting people from the stands for yelling at them.

I stay away from cussing, or cursing if you will. It just violates a basic level of decorum. But to adamantly and vocally suggest to a referee doing a bad job that they should be embarrassed, or some other sort of shot, seems perfectly reasonable.

edit: Questioning every whistle must have diminishing effects. But yelling about calls that are manifestly wrong or repeated narrow calls against the home club are appropriate and part of any home court advantage.

[DustinXtreme]

Exactly my point^

[gmartin]

Did anyone happen to catch the Ohio Akron Men's game today. Referees tossed out two fans for not yelling or cursing but for popping balloons. After the wo were tossed they then went into the crowd, confiscated the balloons and made an announcement that if someone popped another a technical would be issued against the team.

[Bubba Bo Bob Brain]

There might be some artificial noise maker rule. I'd think balloon popping might be unfairly distracting to the players.

From Western Michigan:
Q: What is not allowed in THE ZOO?
A: NO ARTIFICIAL NOISE MAKERS; According to NCAA bylaws, artificial noisemakers are prohibited in indoor facilities. ..."

I still haven't found what I'm really looking for by Googling words that should lead me right to it, but I HAVE discovered we aren't alone. Here's a comment found at BobcatAttack.com in a discussion about thundersticks: "I know you shouldn't get carried away but if fans just want to sit there and not listen to it at all then stay home and watch it on tv. A large number of the bluehairs who complain about people standing and cheering don't stay for the whole game. Many leave at halftime like the students. As it turned out the people who complained the other night left themselves after the third quarter. That being said I have seen worse. I was at Ohio Wesleyan soccer and lacrosse games where fans of the opposing teams were thrown out for being negative. Not using the f bomb or even cursing, but being negative. One of the fans I saw ejected was the mother of a opposing player. People need to lighten up, it's college sports, have fun or stay home."

[bgbill]

NCAA basketball rules - Rule 10, Section 2, Article 8: "Art. 8. Team followers, as in Rule 4-27, shall not commit an unsportsmanlike act,
including, but not limited to, the following:
a. Using musical instruments, amplified music or artificial noisemakers
while the game is in progress, except timeouts and intermissions.
b. Using laser pointers.
c. Throwing debris on the court after officials’ jurisdiction has begun.
d. Delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly made live
or by preventing continuous play, such as but not limited to, followers
entering the playing court before the player activity has been terminated.
When the delay does not interfere with play, it shall be ignored.
e. Using profanity or language that is abusive, vulgar or obscene.
Note 1: Before penalizing a follower(s) of a team for violating Rule
10-2.8, the officials shall have knowledge as to which team’s follower(s)
committed the act.
Note 2: When the misconduct of the follower(s) is extreme or excessive,
such behavior may be penalized by the official requesting home/contest
management to eject from the premises the team follower(s) involved in
the misbehavior. In such a case, a technical foul shall not be assessed.
PENALTY: (Art. 8) Two free throws awarded to the offended team. The
ball shall be put back in play at the point of interruption"

NCAA rules are free downlaods at ncaa.org

[gmartin]

A few comments to BGBill post. Look at Note #2, it specifically mentions Dustin EXTREME. Also, I guess the band is no longer to perform since no musical instruments are permitted. And I guess you ARE ALLOWED to throw items onto the court before and after the game. And if I read this correctly it states if an offender is ejected from the game a technical is NOT assessed. Yet it then goes on to say two free throws are awarded. That made no sense. These rules are terribly written with lots of room for error.

[Bubba Bo Bob Brain]

Look at Note #2, it specifically mentions Dustin EXTREME.

However extreme Dustin may be (or was before "the incident" took the wind out of his sails), I still don't think he has misconducted himself this season, not in any of the items listed in a - e anyway.

Also, I guess the band is no longer to perform since no musical instruments are permitted.

a. Using musical instruments, amplified music or artificial noisemakers while the game is in progress, except timeouts and intermissions.

Thank you for posting, bgbill.

[Lord_Byron]

. . .And if I read this correctly it states if an offender is ejected from the game a technical is NOT assessed. Yet it then goes on to say two free throws are awarded. That made no sense. These rules are terribly written with lots of room for error.

I think this is pretty clear, too. Free throws are awarded, but no technical foul is counted against the team's total technical fouls.

[Redwingtom]

Thank you for confirming my suspicions. And no, I wasn't suggesting officials would throw fans for simply yelling at them or booing.

[Falcon Commander]

anybody remember when they used to sneak in rolls of toilet paper (or borrow them from the can) and throw them (pregame) on to the court??

that was funny has heck!

it took a bit of skill to throw one so it unrolled all the way down to the floor (I found it best to sit high in AA . . . for the best trajectory)

[musicman2343]

The big phrase to look for in just about any part of the rule book is "including, but is not limited to..."
So yes, Redwingtom, you are correct in the fact that officials have the right to remove anybody at any time if they are interfering with the flow of the game or being outright extreme.
In HS, it states that the home team management is in charge of controlling the crowd atmosphere. If a situation by the crowd interrupts the game (in HS), the officials "shall instruct the home management to rectify the situation." If the management cannot fix the situation, a technical can be charged to the offending team. I would suspect in a different part of the college rulebook that the same situation applies.

I remember in high school when our fans starting throwing stuff onto the floor one game. The officials stopped the game and had the AD announce that if it happened again, a technical foul would be assessed to our team.

In one game about 5 years ago, I was called a racist by a fan - needless to say, that fan was gone right away.