Rules

Spending recent time in the stands of a couple sporting events and listening to many different people not know the rules of different sports has made me realize the desperate need to educate people on the important rules and educate involved in watching different sports. I will try and cover in a running series of blogs. I will simply address things as I spot them in the stands of different events. Seeing as how there is not much more football to watch in person and the basketball season is just about to start the majority of occurrences will likely be from basketball, but there are a number of things which can be applied to many different sports across the way. Also I know the rules and edict of golf like the back of my hand so I will have to throw a few helpful hints in when I get down to Colorado, California, and Arizona to play over the next couple months.



We will start off with a couple football items.

1) When your team is on offense shut up! Yes it is exciting when your player makes a run for 30 yards, but if you are still celebrating so loud no one can hear the snap count of the next play you are hurting your own team. (Snap count: for each play the offense decides on a predetermined number of huts or a certain word which will let them know when to start the play. This way they only have to hear the quarterback and can keep their eyes on the defense. Also makes the defense have to react to the snap of the ball.)

2) Seems to me to be more common at schools which have not had good teams in the recent future, therefore causing them to not have any faith in their team. If your team is down at half by less than 30 do not leave. At least not in college in the pros you are probably safe, but think about how that will impact the players. If they don't think you have faith in them and thus leave does that inspire confidence not just in the rest of that game but the next few? I didn't think so. It may be painful for you to watch but how do you think the players who put their hearts souls and bodies on the line feel when no matter what they do the other team is pounding their brains out? Stay and show some support! you can resume drinking in 45 min it won't kill you!



Basketball-
1) Don't cheer for your players when they are shooting free throws. If your girlfriend doesn't understand this and is continually yelling for them to try hard and make it in the otherwise silent gym shut her up! (blew my mind when I saw this at a game about a week ago. I understood that the girl didn't know the edict but for the guy to sit there and let her keep making a fool of herself not a good move buddy! First of all everyone in the stands is not going to be fond of her at the end of the game if the loss is in single digits, secondly you don't look like a very caring boyfriend to keep her from that embarrassment.

2) Parents sit in the parent section if you don't want to stand during the whole game! I had a couple, they were elderly, sat right in front of me. Now it is important to explain I was in the section of students who stood during every second of running clock, and shouted our displeasure at every call now matter how correct it was. I noticed the problem right away, and knelt down to warn them about the rowdiness of the fans in this section and that they may be happier watching from another part of the gym. They said they were happy here, and were sure they could handle it. Halfway through the first half they started tapping the students in front of them on the shoulders and asking them to sit down so they could see. The students wanting to be friendly said this was how they supported this team, and if they sat down they also would not be able to see. (the 10 rows in front of them where all standing) The husband and wife got all upset and stormed out of the gym telling everyone that the student section and "kicked" them out of the game! Frustrating to watch!
On this same topic parents it is probably not a good idea to take anyone under the age of 17 into the student section. There is an abnormal amount of swearing and it is likely more than one student has snuck a flask or two into the gym.

3) When your player makes a block and their hands only get ball, but their momentum causes their body to smash into the player sending them flying into the first couple rows of seats; that is not a clean block! I am tired of people yelling for calls such as this you are only making yourself and your fans look ignorant to the rules.