HANDSHAKE RULE

updated: 12/27/07

Please know as sport season(s) continue, Sportsmanship Committee members or Bill Gaine would be happy to attend any league meetings to discuss ongoing sportsmanship strategies or the handshake rule.

In the sport of basketball the following reminder and suggested protocol is outlined below.  We have learned that it may be beneficial to our schools and supportive of our basketball officials to ensure that:

  1. A responsible delegate of the principal at each host school is acting as site manager to greet the officials and plan the post game handshake.

  2. Member schools understand contest officials have no increased liability for any activity resulting from the handshake ceremony.

  3. Site managers are aware that there is no prescriptive protocol for basketball officials. Among current procedures that have been reported as positive include, standing at half court facing the scorer's table, and/or standing in front of the scorer's table while players and coaches proceed by. In either case it has been reported that players and coaches have voluntarily included game officials in the handshake.

  4. The suggested announcement be made prior to the conclusion of the game to help set the proper tone for the handshake celebration.

Reminder

With the advice and counsel of the National Federation Basketball Rules Editor, the following interpretation of NF Basketball Rule 2, Section 5, Article 7 has been adopted.  "When the referee either signs the scorebook following the end of the game, or when a non-verbal confirmation is exchanged between the referee and the official scorer, the score is then final and considered approved."

Any unsportsmanlike behavior following approval of the final score will be penalized consistent only with MIAA Sportsmanship Rule 49.8:  "Fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties will be within the authority of the official at all times at the contest site.  The official's authority extends to pre and post game oversight."  Implementation of this rule could have future consequences on the offender, but does not affect the final score.

A recent question of increased "liability" apparently has been raised by some basketball officials.  Contest officials have no increase liability for any activity resulting from the handshake ceremony, but rather are simply participants within that ceremony.  Head coaches (and not game officials) are responsible for their teams and student-athletes during the handshake ceremony.  The contest Site Manager (most often the home team Athletic Director) and School Administration are responsible for spectator decorum at the venue.

Suggested Protocol

#1.  Verify with the Game site administrator [who may not be a member of the basketball coaching staff] that the handshake will take place following the contest.

#2.  Verify with the Game site administrator that they will personally be courtside near your exit to greet you and escort you off the court following this activity.

#3.  Verify with the Game site administrator that they will also personally observe the hand shake activity from the location they are to meet you leaving the court.  Confirm they will be in their location with a minimum of 30 seconds to go in the contest so you may visually confirm their location.

#4.  Following the final horn, approve the final score as you normally would.

#5.  If for any reason you have a concern that monitoring the hand shake may be an issue and you feel it would be better to leave the court area, leave the court as you have done previous to the implementation of this initiative. [The form developed for this eventuality must be completed - click:  http://www.miaa.net/Sportsmanship-Handshake-Report-Form.pdf]

#6.  If, while monitoring the hand shake anything occurs in which you would normally penalize the actions with an unsporting technical foul or flagrant technical foul, report those actions to the Game site administrator.   These actions will be penalized only under MIAA Sportsmanship Rule 49.8: "Fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties will be within the authority of the official at all times at the contest site.  The official's authority extends to pre and post game oversight."

As always, common sense prevails.  If a game official or game site administrator feels that this initiative should not be followed due to concerns which arise during the contest, the hand shake protocol will be cancelled.