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Limitations and VHSL rules

AdvocateOfMany434

AdvocateOfMany434

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Oct 13, 2015
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What limitations does your school have on visiting team? What does your school let visiting team bring with them? Im talking about things like cannons, horns like giles, inflatables, smoke machines, etc. What are the VHSL rules on this? Can the host school say 'no' or does VHSL prevent the host school from saying 'no'?

I hear that it is a tradition in Southwest Virginia that you guys let visiting team's band march on the home teams field? That is not common in Central VA. That is why when Lee County came to Appomattox to play last year in playoffs, we thought of it as being disrespectful. I know SWVA plays at 7:30 PM and we play at 7:00 PM (something else different due to locality).

Last year, Lee County brought all there stuff, but the A.D. did say no to a horse with a man riding it (mascot Im guessing). Fans were still irritated and upset because this is not typical in our area. Did Giles prevent Lee from bringing these things when they played them in 2nd round? I heard Giles shut it all down.

I feel if you win home field advantage (or your the home team during season), there is no way that the home team should let the visiting team create a environment as if they are at home. This is sports psychology 101. Open to feedback....
 
In giles we don't care....bring all your fans and noise makers....it's all good to us....get rowdy...make it memorable for everyone...the way it should be
 
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At Richlands we let anyone bring whatever they want. Literally most of the teams in SWVA have the big blow up helmets or mascots. We have our blow up helmet and two smoke machines inside it. Other than that, we just have a rowdy fan base that gets loud and stays loud when our team needs it.

As for the bands, I've always thought it was common practice that the visiting band perform for the home teams fans before the game. I've never seen a school not do that before.
 
Giles did not let Lee bring the horse last year. And as Ryan mentioned, I've never known a school over to not let the visiting band perform, most of us like to see the other band give their performance.
 
There's a few schools that won't let us bring our inflatable. Honaker comes to mind off the top of my head. But most others do. I don't see it as a slap in the face. I see it as a communities hard work and love of a team.
 
When Gate City came to Buckingham 2 yes ago they brought cow bells galore and we thought it was pretty cool made the atmosphere more exciting.
 
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Last year Haysi brought milk jugs filled with rocks and even though they had more fans and cheered on their team I felt the Essex players fed off of it too and just made for a great atmosphere
 
Im not talking about stuff fans bring. Cowbells, milkjugs with rocks, SMALL horns, noise crackers, etc. We had a local church buy blow up noise slappers and i guess somebody said it was against VHSL rules. We had to send them back.

I feel when fans bring a big train horn (Giles) and ur a visiting team, that shouldnt be allowed. Appo has a Train horn, but only blows it after a score.
 
Its all a part of the show in SWVA, anything to make the atmosphere bigger and better. Never heard of the band thing, here it has always been both bands and entertainment for both sides. Don't know about dualing horns and horses.
 
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I remember floyd doing the rocks in milk jugs thing in the 2001 final and suddenly it was a staple at W&L games the next few years.
 
BCKnights said:
When Gate City came to Buckingham 2 yes ago they brought cow bells galore and we thought it was pretty cool made the atmosphere more exciting.
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BC, buckingham would let Appo have a blow up helment on yalls field before a Battle Of The Axe game? I think not...
 
beamer_ball said:
Giles did not let Lee bring the horse last year. And as Ryan mentioned, I've never known a school over to not let the visiting band perform, most of us like to see the other band give their performance.
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Beamer, so did they bring cannon? Blow up helmet and smoke machine? You just said horse wasnt allowed.
 
I dont sweat the band playing, they are kids and need exposure. They work hard to learn craft. Plus it lets fans compare home vs. Visitors band. Just not normal in this area for that to happen. Caught me by surprise.
 
Some of our kids at Appo are not the best of fans. You know the ones that just come to the game to hang out. I can see them throwing the rocks from stands to be funny. Hitting people around them.
 
AdvocateOfMany434 said:
What limitations does your school have on visiting team? What does your school let visiting team bring with them? Im talking about things like cannons, horns like giles, inflatables, smoke machines, etc. What are the VHSL rules on this? Can the host school say 'no' or does VHSL prevent the host school from saying 'no'?

I hear that it is a tradition in Southwest Virginia that you guys let visiting team's band march on the home teams field? That is not common in Central VA. That is why when Lee County came to Appomattox to play last year in playoffs, we thought of it as being disrespectful. I know SWVA plays at 7:30 PM and we play at 7:00 PM (something else different due to locality).

Last year, Lee County brought all there stuff, but the A.D. did say no to a horse with a man riding it (mascot Im guessing). Fans were still irritated and upset because this is not typical in our area. Did Giles prevent Lee from bringing these things when they played them in 2nd round? I heard Giles shut it all down.

I feel if you win home field advantage (or your the home team during season), there is no way that the home team should let the visiting team create a environment as if they are at home. This is sports psychology 101. Open to feedback....
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I don't know what the rules are but my opinion is that the home team should be able to decide what is allowed and what isn't allowed by the visiting team. At the same time, if it were my decision as an A.D. or coach, I would say bring whatever you like, as long as it isn't a safety concern. The louder the better for any high school game, especially playoffs.
 
VolNation85 said:
I don't know what the rules are but my opinion is that the home team should be able to decide what is allowed and what isn't allowed by the visiting team. At the same time, if it were my decision as an A.D. or coach, I would say bring whatever you like, as long as it isn't a safety concern. The louder the better for any high school game, especially playoffs.
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You have to draw the line somewhere so the attitude of bringing everything doesn't work.

Example: At the James River and Glenvar game there were two guys that had a big battery powered megaphone. They were hilarious in their comments to the referees and the coaches (reminded me of a SNL skit). I was laughing so hard at times and I couldn't believe the refs didn't confiscate it as it was as loud as the PA system on our side. They berated the officials on their calls for the entire game and the coaches for the play calling occassionally. I noticed they stopped bringing it so maybe the coaching staff told them to leave it home but that is an example of something that should be banned. Whistles should also not be allowed.
 
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I am aware of baby powder being banned at games. When the teams would come out, students would toss this into the air. Some people have severe allergies and asthma and breathing baby powder would not be good.

I'm not disagreeing with rocks in milk jugs being banned, it just never occurred to me that that could be a problem. Also, as far as noise-makers, I can see banning the whistles or the kids with the megaphone criticizing officials and coaches. Not allowing the opposing band to come to the game....to me, that's just wrong. They are a big part of the team and the atmosphere.

Cowbells, horns, clappers..... I love it.
 
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Again, I feel cowbells, clappers, thunder crackers, and other things from the stands are good. I will never agree with what Giles does with that train horn.
 
As a neutral observer, I went to a game at Giles and their opponents brought jugs with rocks. The Jugs/rocks were 10 times more annoying than the horn. They did not blow horn except for first downs, TDs and 3rd down plays on defense. Their opponents make stupid noise with jugs entire game.
 
Prognosticator said:
I am aware of baby powder being banned at games. When the teams would come out, students would toss this into the air. Some people have severe allergies and asthma and breathing baby powder would not be good.

I'm not disagreeing with rocks in milk jugs being banned, it just never occurred to me that that could be a problem. Also, as far as noise-makers, I can see banning the whistles or the kids with the megaphone criticizing officials and coaches. Not allowing the opposing band to come to the game....to me, that's just wrong. They are a big part of the team and the atmosphere.

Cowbells, horns, clappers..... I love it.
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I can guarantee you that if you bring a megaphone and criticize the officials at Clarke, you will be escorted out.
Clarke definitely needs a new PA system. It hurts the ears. And they also could use a new soundtrack to play before the game. It's stale.
Opposing teams have brought bands to regular season games before, but it was very rare. Usually it's pretty quiet on the visitors side at Clarke. I like to see both bands play, but that's because I'm a band dad!
 
An opposing AD should ask the home AD what can and cannot be allowed at their stadium. That is common courtesy. Many teams on the East (2A) do not have all of the blow up helmets for entrances and so forth. I would figure the visiting team would leave that at home, they are on the road and their entrance is only special for them at their home field. When was the last time you saw Miami go to an away game and use the smoke to take the field? Or the last time you saw VT on the road and enter the field with Sandman playing? Or Clemson finding a hill to come down at away stadium. Home field is about the home team and their entrance. But things are done differently on both sides of the state. To each his own. On the East, I have never seen the band thing before, most of the time the teams are warming up right until game time and there is not much time for the visiting band to play. Plus most bands do not travel on the East.
 
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piz hokies said:
An opposing AD should ask the home AD what can and cannot be allowed at their stadium. That is common courtesy. Many teams on the East (2A) do not have all of the blow up helmets for entrances and so forth. I would figure the visiting team would leave that at home, they are on the road and their entrance is only special for them at their home field. When was the last time you saw Miami go to an away game and use the smoke to take the field? Or the last time you saw VT on the road and enter the field with Sandman playing? Or Clemson finding a hill to come down at away stadium. Home field is about the home team and their entrance. But things are done differently on both sides of the state. To each his own. On the East, I have never seen the band thing before, most of the time the teams are warming up right until game time and there is not much time for the visiting band to play. Plus most bands do not travel on the East.
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Totally agree with you piz hokies!!! I believe the home team works hard all season to earn that home field advantage. No visiting team should be able to create environment of what they would do at home. Fans can bring whatever. No quarrels there (except the giles horn from stands).
 
AdvocateOfMany434 said:
Again, I feel cowbells, clappers, thunder crackers, and other things from the stands are good. I will never agree with what Giles does with that train horn.
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AdvocateOfMany434 said:
Totally agree with you piz hokies!!! I believe the home team works hard all season to earn that home field advantage. No visiting team should be able to create environment of what they would do at home. Fans can bring whatever. No quarrels there (except the giles horn from stands).
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Like I've said on here before...the horn at giles adds to the game...most places love it...only the teams giles usually beats hate it...just keeping it real...im sure complaining from some will change something that IMHO gets both teams excited...we have a good following and have for 30 years...making mountains out of mole hills as my daddy would say
 
AdvocateOfMany434 said:
Totally agree with you piz hokies!!! I believe the home team works hard all season to earn that home field advantage. No visiting team should be able to create environment of what they would do at home. Fans can bring whatever. No quarrels there (except the giles horn from stands).
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When did Giles begin using that horn? Do they take it to the state championship games too?
 
One think I noticed at Appomattox was that both fan bases were VERY quiet during the game. The only real noise made was after a touchdown. It was the same at Wilson Memorial last year for the most part. Not sure if it's a central Va thing or what, but if Richlands ends up coming up to Appomattox, expect our fans to make all kinds of noise when our defense is on the field. We pride our 12th man and our boys feed off it. Air horns, bottles with beads in them, clappers, hands, voices, whatever it takes. We are loud. Just a heads up.
 
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RichlandsRyan said:
One think I noticed at Appomattox was that both fan bases were VERY quiet during the game. The only real noise made was after a touchdown. It was the same at Wilson Memorial last year for the most part. Not sure if it's a central Va thing or what, but if Richlands ends up coming up to Appomattox, expect our fans to make all kinds of noise when our defense is on the field. We pride our 12th man and our boys feed off it. Air horns, bottles with beads in them, clappers, hands, voices, whatever it takes. We are loud. Just a heads up.
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and some idiots that like to make noise with the offense is on the field....which i cannot understand why they do it....
 
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piz hokies said:
When did Giles begin using that horn? Do they take it to the state championship games too?
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Had the horn a long time...and yes it goes to every game including state....only allowed to blow it at entrances at start of game and at half of the state game
 
ghs89er said:
Had the horn a long time...and yes it goes to every game including state....only allowed to blow it at entrances at start of game and at half of the state game
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Ok, I just did not remember it back in 2006.
 
Back when I was in 8th or 9th grade, long before Wise Co Consolidation, Gate City dropped down to D2 and rejoined the LPD. Anyone around here who knows of Gate City knows about their train horn. They brought it to Bullitt Park, now home of the Union Bears and former Powell Valley Vikings for those who may not necessarily know. I heard Phil Robbins got mad. Maybe Gate City didn't ask if they could bring it? That's just speculation but I would be surprised. It seems like the ones who blow it do try to practice common courtesy.

Something like a train horn, cannonball, horse, inflatable, spirit tunnels, etc. should really be up to the home team. I think something like that is best left at home.

Marching bands? As a band geek and band director I have no problem with visitor bands coming and performing their field show. That's a pretty common practice here in SWVA.
 
Hampton Roads 6 said:
As a neutral observer, I went to a game at Giles and their opponents brought jugs with rocks. The Jugs/rocks were 10 times more annoying than the horn. They did not blow horn except for first downs, TDs and 3rd down plays on defense. Their opponents make stupid noise with jugs entire game.
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That jugs/rocks was in direct response to the Giles train horn which Glenvar and other teams have had to put up with for years....Granted..Part of the annoyance like gs89er said was because Giles won.
Giles whistleblowers have sounded the horn, this year, far more than you observed. I think it adds to the game and I don't have any problem with it, my annoyance not withstanding...UNLESS/UNTIL they blow it after the opposing team offense breaks the huddle and begins cadence which they did on crucial downs in the 4th quarter and on the final drive on every single down against Glenvar a few weeks ago. Given...most of the time they are respectful and I am sure they are good men but it was obvious that the train whistle blowers couldn't control themselves and tried to use it as a 12th man on the field. BTW...The jugs and rocks were an attempt to "level the playing field" a few years ago...I was there shaking two jugs and hope the Giles fans found them extremely annoying. lol
 
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