Athletic Directors:
As we approach district play in our spring sports seasons we want to make you aware of an alarming trend that has been seen at recent basketball contests. There have been several instances of fans “storming” the court following a last second shot or victory. In two recent NCAA basketball games, athletes were injured by fans rushing onto the court to celebrate with their team.
This practice is not condoned by TAPPS and one that puts players, coaches and fans in a situation with potentially disastrous outcomes. The court or field of play has no place for fans prior to the game (especially during warmups), during the contest or after the contest while the teams still occupy the court, field or benches. It is incumbent upon the home school game administrators to ensure that the spectators respect the boundaries and do not interact with the teams or officials.
Last summer the TAPPS Executive Board agreed to address the issue of fans rushing the field, court or pitch. The following changes and additions are in place for the 2023-24 school year:
- Fans rushing the field/court/pitch at the buzzer with no incident (players and officials no longer on the court):
- First Offense – warning
- Second Offense – $1500 fine
- Third Offense – $1500 fine and no fans at next game
- Fans rushing the field/court/pitch at the buzzer with players and officials still on the court:
- First Offense – $1500 fine
- Second Offense – $1500 fine and no fans at next game
- Third Offense – Additional sanctions to be determined by TAPPS
We all love a hard fought game and love it even more when our team comes out on top. Storming the court, field or pitch can lead to injury and unhealthy interactions between players, fans or coaches if the situation is uncontrolled. Please take a moment to review your school’s procedures on hosting contests and look especially on crowd management prior to, during and after contests.
If questions arise, please contact the TAPPS office at 254-947-9268 or by email at [email protected].