Flash at a sports event?

This article popped up when I was perusing Yahoo:
http://rivals.yahoo.co​m …hes?urn=highsch​ool-318719

I instantly noticed that the picture from the "times-republican" photographer looked like he was blinding the players with a 1:1 flash Aren't there rules against that kind of thing in a game that's close enough to require six overtimes? This guy could easily be adversely affecting the score.

Probably happened before anyone could intervene. It is my experience that there is portion of journalistic photographers who don't give a rat's buttocks about the etiquitte of the sport or sensitivities in some competitive situations. They have a deadline full stop and that is all that matters.

I'm sure there are rules (besides making blatantly horrible images with on-camera flash) in some leagues. A lot of photogs use bounced flashes of monoheads for basket ball though.

And from playing many sports through out high school and post secondary, I can't say I ever noticed when a flash went off from a photographer or someone in the crowd. As an athlete your job is to stay inside the game and not be bothered by outside influences.

^^^
After 6 overtimes, and the game down to the wire, I can see someone missing a shot because they were blinded by a well-placed and overly powerful flash. These girls aren't professionals--they're high-school basketball players from small schools. I seriously doubt that they're accustomed to people on the sidelines using an external flash of that caliber.

Using the puny built-in-flash on a P&S camera is one thing--this is an entirely different level. Just LOOK at the background shadows. No built-in-flash on any DSLR is going to be powerful enough to flood that room, unless it was pitch-black in there.

I have been using on-board flash for two years now at in-door sporting events. I have found out that it shouldn't effect the players, if they are really into the game.
Saying this, my flash is set to 1/8 -1/16th power. Wanting to assist available light, not over-power it. Also, if the game hinges on a basket or so, I don't shoot. I hold the camera close to my face and just watch the game.

I have been using flash for 20 years in HS wrestling, volleyball and basketball. Where does this come from that it blinds players? I've never seen it bother anyone as a photographer, spectator or player.

i can see this being an issue is certain cases, for me photographing mountain biking, and racing on technical trail I will try to set up so I down pop flash directly at faces from the trail they are going toward, keeping a 45degree or so. the last thing I want to do is have someone going 25mph dodging rocks and trees get surprised by my flash and crash. Im sure there are guys that are not so curtious. as for ball sports I cant speak much because I shoot very little of it, but I would use flash when needed,

If flash is not allowed I do not use it.If I do use it its best to bounce or diffuse it in someway. However I do use flash at H.S. football as that is the only way Maxpreps will accept them. The athelets are rarely looking at your flas when it goes off. I have a photo of a kid that works with me and it looks like he is looking drectly at me after talking to me he said he never even noticed. I have asked many others in many different sports and have got the same answers.
Again I try to take precautions and I normally try to time a shot at the free throw line when I know they will not be looking. If flash is restricted I just dont use it or dont shoot it.

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It's a newspaper, they are usually at the event for 5-10 minutes until they get their shot and leave. Most have all but ditched the flash, depends what pool gear they have to use. The local guy for a small town paper was great with flash, when I was coaching volleyball he'd show up and I'd see maybe one flash if that. Not sure how he did it but he was always not even noticeable with it.

A local photographer uses a flash at HS basketball all the time.

If you ask athletes if they ever noticed flashes going off, they will often say "what flashes?"

MOkoFOko wrote in post #11808651
This article popped up when I was perusing Yahoo:
http://rivals.yahoo.co​m …hes?urn=highsch​ool-318719

I instantly noticed that the picture from the "times-republican" photographer looked like he was blinding the players with a 1:1 flash Aren't there rules against that kind of thing in a game that's close enough to require six overtimes? This guy could easily be adversely affecting the score.

Six periods is two overtimes, not six. 1:1 flash, even on camera from that close would not have that much ambient light in it unless that place was lit like the surface of the sun. They set a national scoring record in the game. It was tied at 100 at the end of regulation. I'm going out on a limb and say scoring was not adversely effected.

HighPixel wrote in post #11815790
If you ask athletes if they ever noticed flashes going off, they will often say "what flashes?"

Coaching I've had players complain to me because the idiot behind the camera didn't know what they were doing with flash, so it can all depend. Like I said, the local guy was great - the school photographer was horrible, never know.

From our local state high school rules and regs:

I would still not employ on-camera flash unless I had absolutely no other choice, and even then would probably fire it directly upwards to be used as bounce flash (or with a flash modifier like a Wong LightSphere).

Just from reading here on POTN, it seems that it all depends on the location and the local rules. Sometimes it is allowed and other times not. No rhyme or reason in my opinion.

I only played a couple years of high school Bball but I don't think there is too much worry about blinding or even distracting most players. I suppose if you shoot a player direct in the face from a couple feet away, it might be blinding but that doesn't happen too much. I don't think it would be allowed to put a flash behind the backboard directed toward the shooter at the free-throw line. Other than that, it might be distracting at first, but as soon as the players get into the game, that is gone.

I remember we were in a big game or at least a game that got some local press coverage with a photog who used flash. We all thought it was pretty cool. After the game we were kidding each other and calling one another "Hollywood"!