Band Size

[PhirePhilBennett]

If you recall a few years back, BAYLOR (2005) was playing while we were on offense, and the refs didn't call squat...our coaches didn't even complain, in our own stadium.

Reminds me of the 1986 A&M at SMU game at Texas Stadium...

Down 35-32, late in the 4th quarter, and facing a 4th and xx, A&M falls short...but a yellow flag comes out...

Unsportsman conduct - against SMU (the band, that is).

F'ing band was playing during the Aggie offense...

FIRST DOWN!!

A&M comes back to win because of that penalty.

Thanks band.

We went 6-5 instead of 7-4 or maybe better because of you.

We lost our LAST opportunity to get 7 victories in a season - all thanks to YOU!!
(Just kidding, we love you. Only we can haze our band.)


Sat, Nov 01 @ SMU Dallas, Texas Aggies Win 39-35

[smu diamond m]

I think the rule is stupid. The rule should read that your band can not play while the opposing team is on offense.

We have a winner!

[DiamondM75]

We lost our LAST opportunity to get 7 victories in a season - all thanks to YOU!![/b]
(Just kidding, we love you. Only we can haze our band.)

Be carefull!

Band hazing is no longer allowed. We went through this battle back in the late 70's and early 80's, and to avoid federal penalties, had to stop all band hazing.

"Keep your eyes on the Diamond M."

[Bergermeister]

[quote="DiamondM75"Band hazing is no longer allowed. We went through this battle back in the late 70's and early 80's, and to avoid federal penalties[/quote]

Is a federal penalty more than 15 yards?

[friarwolf]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't the band operate under the direction of the athletic department until the early 1970's????????

[DiamondM]

Yeah, and if we could just go back to the sped up version of Peruna when the team is driving... those were the days.

I agree that would be great, but it is now against NCAA rules for the band to play after the team breaks the huddle and before the snap. Unfortunately, SMU runs a no huddle offense, so the band can not play after the ball is set and before the snap. So how can you play Peruna during an offensive drive?

I think the rule is stupid. The rule should read that your band can not play while the opposing team is on offense.

I am attaching a link to the NCAA Div. I Football Rules. I looked in the logical places in the rules and found no such NCAA rule. http://www.ncaa.org/library/rules/2006/2006_football_rules.pdf Can someone please point me to the mythical rule?

I have also heard that this was a WAC or a ConfUSA rule. I have looked at the official CUSA website and could find nothing.

But let's just assume that there is such a rule. Listen to any game involving an SEC school, Pac 10, most Big 12 schools or Big 10 schools and you WILL hear 400+ person bands, much louder than our 100 person band playing not only when their own team has broken the huddle, but when the other team has broken the huddle before the snap. I PROMISE you, you will hear it. If refs are not automatically calling penalties on these bands for their ad nauseum ditties (even when they play when the opposite team is in the huddle), they are not going to penalize the SMU Mustang Band for playing when its own team is going to snap.

Any rule such as this is purely discretionary, and our own coach is not going to complain to the ref about our own band. And I daresay, the opposite coach is not going to complain unless the band is much louder, and is still unlikely to complain, because what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Getting a ref to call a penalty because of the opponent's band only (1) fires up the band and the crowd, and (2) subjects your band to the same treatment. That is why you NEVER see this called even when the obnoxious playing is when the opponent is on offense.

Someone please point me to the exact language of the rule so I can scrutinize it and talk with our athletic department and football coaching staff about whether they'd like the band to adhere to the letter of the law, or do what every other fricking decent band in the country does.

[Bergermeister]

Preach, Brawtha.

[PK]

Perhaps it was a WAC rule...rather than NCAA.

[PhirePhilBennett]

It was a time-honored SWC rule to NOT play while the other team was breaking from huddle.

I know of no such rule in the NCAA or CUSA, though common courtesy suggests that you shouldn't.

(Don't think BAYLOR wasn't doing it on purpose in 2005.)

They're the kind of university that doesn't have the common courtesy to give you a reach -round while their boinking you from behind.

[DiamondM75]

I never can find this rule when I need it. It definately was a SWC rule. As posted earlier, the unsportmanship penalty on the band at the TAM game. I am pretty sure it is an NCAA rule, but at the very least, it is a CUSA rule.

The biggest problem I see is our "walk on eggshells" athletic department. I have actually discussed this very issue with coach Bennett and he says he wants the band playing. When I discuss this issue with the band directors and tell them that coach Bennett wants the band to play, they tell me the athletic department says not to play because it is against the rules and we could get penalized.

I hope Orsini and Sweet can get the athletic department to start taking a few risks.

[CalallenStang]

I never can find this rule when I need it. It definately was a SWC rule. As posted earlier, the unsportmanship penalty on the band at the TAM game. I am pretty sure it is an NCAA rule, but at the very least, it is a CUSA rule.

The biggest problem I see is our "walk on eggshells" athletic department. I have actually discussed this very issue with coach Bennett and he says he wants the band playing. When I discuss this issue with the band directors and tell them that coach Bennett wants the band to play, they tell me the athletic department says not to play because it is against the rules and we could get penalized.

I hope Orsini and Sweet can get the athletic department to start taking a few risks.

Dear Mr. Sweet,

The fans want the band to play during offensive drives. We know you read PonyFans. See if you can make it happen. Thanks!

[DiamondM75]

DiamondM,

I found it. It is Rule 9-2b5 on page 124 of the NCAA document you referenced.

[ThadFilms]

Man that's some serious sleuthing.

5. Persons subject to the rules, including bands, shall not create any noise that prohibits a team from hearing its signals (Rule 1-1-6).

So does that mean the band can't yell at those times either? And correct me if I am wrong but the band does do drum cadences during the course of play, right? Wouldn't that also be illegal? I mean if we are breaking the rule by simply allowing the band to cheer ("any noise") or play a cadence... why not flaunt it?

-Thaddeus

[couch 'em]

Much like "what is hazing", "what prohibits a team from hearing its signals" it purely subjective. So why not push the limits every time and figure out what the limit is? Surely you'd get a warning before you get a penalty.

[couch 'em]

I've got a way around this.

Rule 9-2b5 refers to people "subject to the rules, including bands". "Bands" seems to be defined on page 22 article 6 as only people in uniform:

Persons Subject to the Rules
ARTICLE 6. All players, substitutes, replaced players, coaches, trainers,
cheerleaders in uniform, band members in uniform, mascots in uniform,
commercial mascots, public-address announcers, audio and video system
operators, and other persons affiliated with the teams or institutions are
subject to the rules and shall be governed by the decisions of the officials.
Affiliated persons are those authorized within the team area.

Therefore, from now on the band should not wear uniform when in the stands. Thus, they would not be in uniform, and not subject to the rules.