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Bands

WP02alum

VaPreps Honorable Mention
Nov 22, 2009
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There was a 4A thread from a curmudgeon Salem fan a few weeks ago complaining about the other school's band playing loudly while Salem was at the LOS.

Can you find where bands are mentioned in the federation rules? I haven't had any luck finding it. An old referee friend of mine says the rule reads that bands can't play at the LOS when the LOS is directly in front of the band. Seems very specific, so I have some doubts!
 
There was a 4A thread from a curmudgeon Salem fan a few weeks ago complaining about the other school's band playing loudly while Salem was at the LOS.

Can you find where bands are mentioned in the federation rules? I haven't had any luck finding it. An old referee friend of mine says the rule reads that bands can't play at the LOS when the LOS is directly in front of the band. Seems very specific, so I have some doubts!

There is no federation rule regarding bands or music because it's dealt with at the administrative level, not by officials. Some state organizations have rules, VHSL does not. Georgia does and I believe Ohio does as well.
 
So, the home team's AD can silence a visiting band during the playoffs based on their opinion alone?

Seems like that could get really messy. Makes sense that most AD's in VA just allow it to happen instead of getting involved.
 
So, the home team's AD can silence a visiting band during the playoffs based on their opinion alone?

Seems like that could get really messy. Makes sense that most AD's in VA just allow it to happen instead of getting involved.

I have no idea how the administrative side of things work. I do know administrators hold authority in their facility, so I would assume they could threaten that the band be removed from the field. It does sound messy. I'd suggest asking VHSL or an AD to clarify this.
 
I haven't seen a situation where administrators got involved at all. Bands can play all they want.

In indoor sports, artificial noisemakers are banned, but I'm not sure if it's in the basketball rule book or just the VHSL handbook.
 
Saw the Tuscarora AD threaten the North Stafford band last year in the playoffs. I watched him tell that band director he was breaking a rule. After the AD left, I made sure to tell the director there was no such rule.

Seems like there's a lot of misinformation out there on this topic, including some referees & ADs making it up as they go.
 
I haven't seen a situation where administrators got involved at all. Bands can play all they want.

In indoor sports, artificial noisemakers are banned, but I'm not sure if it's in the basketball rule book or just the VHSL handbook.
The NFHS rule book has it that no artificial noise makers are allowed. Bands are allowed to play during timeouts and halftime.
 
The NFHS rule book has it that no artificial noise makers are allowed. Bands are allowed to play during timeouts and halftime.

You just mean for basketball, right?

Wonder what wrestling and volleyball say about it.
 
The only time I ever had a coach complain to me about a band it was his own school's band. His players were complaining they couldn't hear but the kids in the band looked like they were having a great time. I said that's an issue within the school and I'm not touching it.

I've been on fields with bands on both sides playing for all their worth but it's not that much of an issue in the middle of a big field with open sky above. I understand the rule indoors, but anyone who wants to blame the noise of a band in a high school football stadium for causing them trouble better never aspire to college football. It actually does get loud at that level.
 
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The only time I ever had a coach complain to me about a band it was his own school's band. His players were complaining they couldn't hear but the kids in the band looked like they were having a great time. I said that's an issue within the school and I'm not touching it.

If bands want to be part of the competitive balance in a HS FB game, I think that's great. Idiot band directors who have their kids play while their team is on offense, well, they're idiots.
 
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Football Officials, during the games, do you actually hear loud crowds? Or do you totally tune out everything? I would think in games with very sparse crowds, the quiet is a little eerie.

(And I'm not speaking of all of the officiating advice you get from the stands).

BTW, thank God the courts in Illinois had the good sense to stay out of determining the outcome of a football game.
 
I definitely hear crowds, but it's noise in the distance. I like it when the crowds are loud and the bands are playing. That translates to energy on the field. It's easy to hear the noise but tune out the individual comments, esecially with bigger crowds. If there are only a few people around there's more chance to hear the individual voices, but it makes no difference to me what they yell from the stands. 98% of the ime the stuff they yell is entirely wrong, which I find funny. You have no idea how many times kids on the field say funny and incriminating things about their own parents and fans. I've never heard a player bother to comment about a loud fan from the opposing team, it's only their own fans that embarrass them.
 
I should said fans are not allowed to have artificial noise makers at high school basketball games.

Even noisemakers in the hands of non-fans have restrictions. For example, cheerleaders are allowed to yell through megaphones but there are not allowed to bang them on the bleachers.

Third round game in NC this past Friday, Ad escorted us to our locker room before the game. He told me his head coach had concerns about the opposing school's band. I told him that was not within my jurisdiction, that it was totally within his authority as game management to address it if he chose to.
 
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