Far West SuburbanBasketball Officials AssociationFighting

Fighting Presentation

•Definitions•Rules•Handling a fight•Cases

DefinitionsFighting (Rule 4-18)

A flagrant act and can occur when the ball is dead or live. Fighting includes, but is not limited to combative acts such as:ART. 1 . . . An attempt to strike, punch or kick by using a fist, hands, arms, legs or feet regardless of whether contact is made.ART. 2 . . . An attempt to instigate a fight by committing an unsporting act that causes a person to retaliate by fighting.

DefinitionsDisqualified Player (Rule 4-14)

ART. 1 . . . A disqualified player is one who is barred from further participation in the game because of having committed his/her fifth foul (personal and technical), two technical fouls or a flagrant foul.ART. 2 . . . A player is officially disqualified and becomes bench personnel when the coach is notified by an official.

DefinitionsFoul (flagrant) (Rule 4-19)

ART. 4 . . . A flagrant foul may be a personal or technical foul of a violent or savage nature, or a technical noncontact foul which displays unacceptable conduct. It may or may not be intentional. If personal, it involves, but is not limited to violent contact such as: striking, kicking and kneeing. If technical, it involves dead-ball contact or noncontact at any time which is extreme or persistent, vulgar or abusive conduct. Fighting is a flagrant act.

DefinitionsFoul (Double and False Double) (Rule 4-19)

ART. 8 . . . Double fouls: a. A double personal foul is a situation in which two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately

the same time. b. A double technical foul is a situation in which two opponents commit technical fouls against each other at approximately

the same time.ART. 9 . . . A false double foul is a situation in which there are fouls by both teams, the second of which occurs before the clock is started following the first, and such that at least one of the attributes of a double foul is absent.

DefinitionsFoul (Unsporting) (Rule 4-19)

ART. 14 . . . An unsporting foul is a noncontact technical foul which consists of unfair, unethical, dishonorable conduct or any behavior not in accordance with the spirit of fair play.

DefinitionsPlayers/Bench Personnel/Team Members

(Rule 4-34)

ART. 1 . . . A player is one of five team members who are legally on the court at any given time, except intermission.ART. 2 . . . Bench personnel are all individuals who are part of or affiliated with a team, including, but not limited to: substitutes, coaches, manager(s) and

statistician(s). During an intermission, all team members are bench personnel for the purpose of penalizing unsporting behavior.

ART. 3 . . . A substitute becomes a player when he/she legally enters the court. If entry is not legal, the substitute becomes a player when the ball becomes live. A player becomes bench personnel after his/her substitute becomes a player or after notification of the coach following his/her disqualification.ART. 4 . . . A team member is a member of bench personnel who is in uniform and is

eligible to become a player.

DefinitionsPoint of Interruption (Rule 4-36)

ART. 1 ... Method of resuming play due to an official's inadvertent whistle, an interrupted game, a correctable error, a double personal, double

technical or simultaneous foul.ART. 2 … Play shall be resumed by one of the following methods:

a. A throw-in to the team that was in control at a spot nearest to where the ball was located when the interruption occurred.

b. A free throw or a throw-in when the interruption occurred during this activity or if a team is entitled to such.

c. A jump ball or alternating-possession throw-in when neither team is in control and no goal, infraction, nor end of quarter/extra period is involved when the game is interrupted.

RulesPlayer Technical (Rule 10-3)

Art. 6: A player shall not commit an unsporting foul…including:

b. Using profane or inappropriate language or obscene gestures

c. Baiting or taunting an opponentArt. 7: Intentionally or flagrantly contacting an opponent when the ball is dead, and the contact is not a personal foulArt. 8: Be charged with fightingPenalty: Flagrant foul (disqualification)

RulesBench Technical (Rule 10-4)

Art. 1: Bench personnel, including the head coach, shall not commit an unsporting foul…such as:

c. Using profane or inappropriate language or obscene gesturesd. Disrespectfully addressing, baiting or taunting an opponente. Being charged with fighting

Art. 5: Leave the confines of the bench during a fight or when a fight may break out.*** Head coach may enter the court without being beckoned to help diffuse a situation.Penalties will be discussed in a few slides

RulesPenalties

Players on the court• All players given flagrant fouls and disqualified• If even number from each team, no free throws, and ball put

in play at point of interruption• If uneven number, two free throws for each additional player

to offended team, and ball at division line for a throw in

RulesPenalties

Bench personnel leaving the bench• All players given flagrant fouls and disqualifiedIf do not participate in fight• Maximum of one indirect technical foul assessed to head

coach• If numbers leaving each bench are equal, no free throws, and

ball at point of interruption• If numbers unequal, maximum of 2 free throws for offended

team, and ball at division line for throw in

RulesPenalties

If bench personnel do participate in fight• Head coach assessed one indirect personal foul for each player

leaving bench and participating in fight• If numbers leaving each bench are equal, no free throws, and

ball at point of interruption• If numbers unequal, 2 free throws for offended team for each

additional player, and ball at division line for throw in*** The head coach may enter the floor if a fight breaks out or may break out to help break up the situation – rule change this year!

RulesCliff Notes Version

Personnel on court: • One “T” for every player involved in fight. All disqualified. 2 FT per “extra”

player involved.Bench personnel leaving bench area:• All disqualified.• Free throws for team with less players leaving. 2 FT max if none fight, or else

2 per fighter.• One indirect “T” to head coach if none fight; one for each player fighting.Shooting and resuming the game:• Cancel out FT for those on court and bench personnel, if applicable• Whoever shoots gets ball at division line, or else point of interruption

Handling a fightThe best method is to avoid a fight• Be aware of flaring tempers• Be verbal• Communicate with your partner(s)• Use coaches and captains to help calm

situations

CasesNumber 1

A1 dunks over B1 and then taunts B1. B1 retaliates and punches B1

Ruling: Both A1 and B1 are charged with a flagrant technical foul for fighting and are disqualified. A1’s action is defined as fighting when the taunting caused B1 to retaliate by fighting. (10-3; 10-3-6c; 10-3-8)

CasesNumber 2

A1 and B1 begin punching each other and play is stopped. Two substitutes from each team leave the bench area and come onto the court. The four substitutes do not become involved in the fight.Ruling: A1, A6, A7, and B1, B6, and B7 are charged with flagrant fouls and disqualified. No free throws as number of bench personnel leaving the bench area are equal. One indirect technical foul is charged to each head coach.

CasesNumber 3

A1 and B1 beginning punching each other and play is stopped. Two substitutes from each team leave the bench area and come onto the court. The four substitutes all become involved in the fight.

Ruling: A1, A6, A7, and B1, B6, and B7 are charged with flagrant fouls and disqualified. No free throws as number of bench personnel leaving the bench area are equal. Two indirect technical fouls are charged to each head coach.

CasesNumber 4

A1 and B1 beginning punching each other and play is stopped. Two substitutes from each team leave the bench area and come onto the court. A6, A7, and B6 don’t become involved in the fight, but B7 does.Ruling: A1, A6, A7, and B1, B6, and B7 are charged with flagrant fouls and disqualified. No free throws as number of bench personnel leaving the bench area are equal. Team A head coach is given 1 indirect technical foul, and Team B head coach is given 2 (one for players leaving bench, and one for B7 being involved in fight).

CasesNumber 4 (from AOA e-mail)

Substitute A6 properly reports to the scorer’s table is beckoned on the floor by the official, then A1 and B1 start fighting.  A6 joins the fight.  A7 who is at the scorer’s table, waiting to report but not beckoned onto the court, enters the court but does not participate in the fight.  Substitutes B6, B7 and B8 all leave the bench but do not participate in the fight.  What is the correct ruling?My Ruling: A1, A6, A7, and B1, B6, B7 and B8 are charged with flagrant fouls and disqualified. A1 & A6 vs. B1 = 2 FT for Team B. Bench personnel A7 vs. B6, B7, & B8 = 2 FT for Team A. FT cancel each other out. Team A head coach is given 1 indirect technical foul (for A7), and Team B head coach is given 1 (for B6, B7, & B8).

Questions/discussion?