Seeing the threads for flash and HS football has got me thinking. One of my local D2 schools plays evening -night games with bad lights on the field.

Has anyone ever used flash at a D2 football game? i had asked the NCAA about this 2 yrs ago and they had no rule with it

I loved it when one played games at 1pm and lighting was fine. The 6pm games are murder with bad lights after the first half ( i;m not going to buy a D700/D3 or 1d3 just to shoot in low light)

Whatever information you may have will be most helpful!

in case its asked, I have 2.8 lenses, (300 and 70-200 L) with a D2HS AND A 1dMk2N

I don't flash D1, D2, or D3. As far as I know it's not permitted.

that was my thinking too and was making do for years but remembered the word back from the NCAA on that and they had nothing

Where can one read the rule book on photography and the NCAA?

in searching, i found this:

http://news-info.wustl.edu/sportsphotography/

from that( and mentions the rules:

Guidelines for Sports Still and Video Photography Approvals

Washington University encourages photographic coverage of sports events by news media. We welcome students, faculty, staff, and their families to attend and photograph athletic events in our varsity, intramural and club programs — with the understanding that the images are intended for personal use only and not for any commercial use or general distribution.

Still and video photography from any area other than spectator seating requires a University-issued Sports Photo Pass. Generally such passes are issued only to news photographers and videographers who are insured by their employers against physical injury and other hazards, and who are equipped to take pictures without an on-camera flash. NCAA rules prohibit the use of on-camera flash in many types of varsity athletic events, particularly indoor sports.

The Sports Photo Pass is also required if spectators plan to do still and video photography with professional-quality equipment from the spectator area, due to potential disruption and visual obstruction to other spectators. Point-and-shoot cameras and small video cameras usually do not require a pass when used in the spectators seating area, although flash and video lights are not allowed by NCAA rules from spectator areas in many sports events, regardless of location.

I'm sticking by the rules but some D2 fields have poor lights. The D2 school in my area uses a high school field and makes for hard shooting at nighit

Why not just ask the SID at the school you are shooting at?

Mark Peters wrote:
Why not just ask the SID at the school you are shooting at?


she does not know about that on football as she;s new to the job. She does know about it on basketball as I made her aware of it.

The NCAA rule book for football does not have any reference to photography. The NCAA Division II manual does not have any reference to flash photography. The Division II football championship manual does not have any reference to flash photography - which is notable because the Division I manual does.

I appreciate your desire to do the right thing, but given that your SID is the one issuing your credential, if she permits it for regular season events,that would be enough for me. If she doesn't know, she will probably be better able to get an answer (and a specific rule reference) from the NCAA directly.

if she doesnt knwo then go for it and let them figure it out!

(just kidding)

I would refrain, I just cant imagine flashing college sports

Dann - you have the advantage of shooting in a D1 arena, with lighting that is good.


I've seen alot of posts stating that flash is not permitted at NCAA events, but I've never seen a post that provides a link to any rule that says that - other than links I've found myself to championship event manuals. I've also noticed that the restrictions at the D1 level championships are more stringent than at the DII and DIII levels.

I was at the NCAA Division 1 wrestling championships in St Louis a couple of years ago. There was ALOT of oncamera flash being used. If you look at any of the videos of those matches, you can see it as well. That was in the dome, with the tv lights on. Wrestling at the UofI in Huff Hall - the SID shooters are using on camera - the paper guys are hanging monolights off the balcony rails and shooting direct.

I see nothing wrong in asking - particularly if the facility is a dungeon.

This was a long time ago but at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, we were told that you could use flash at their games...granted that was more than 10 years ago. i would check with the SID...I wouldn't think it would be a problem b/c most DII or DIII schools want all the coverage they can get.

hogband wrote:
This was a long time ago but at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, we were told that you could use flash at their games...granted that was more than 10 years ago. i would check with the SID...I wouldn't think it would be a problem b/c most DII or DIII schools want all the coverage they can get.

I think you are right but will look into the NCAA to learn what the rule is

With the DIII schools I cover, NCAA doesn't really care about much during the regular season. They leave it to the discretion of each school. However, during the playoffs NCAA rules all.

Steve Ickes wrote:
With the DIII schools I cover, NCAA doesn't really care about much during the regular season. They leave it to the discretion of each school. However, during the playoffs NCAA rules all.

I can believe it. The D2, even D3 , schools in my area are totally ignored and will do anything ( almost) for exposure.The NCAA maybe more cotrolling of how D1 or FCS schools are viewed and photographed.

I shoot 10+ D2 football games a year around the southeast (Gulf South Conference). Most of the games are at night on poorly lit fields.

While I'm not generally a big fan of flashed football, I've used it a fair amount this season. I've only been to one stadium that told me flash photography wasn't allowed (and in that stadium, I assumed it was fine as flash was being used on the home side. When I fired up on the visitors sidelines, announcers came on loudspeakers and announced that flash photography wasn't allowed in that stadium).

I haven't been able to find anywhere in the NCAA D2 rules that says flash isn't allowed, and I believe that decision is made by each school (if a particular stadium doesn't allow it, should be in the media guide (or as someone said, contact the SID and ask)).

Honestly can't remember if have shot flash in playoffs - but doubt it (those games are usually scheduled for 12:00 noon (or close to that). So flash isn't usually needed.

hogband wrote:
This was a long time ago but at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, we were told that you could use flash at their games...granted that was more than 10 years ago.

Must still be true, because I shot at Harding a couple of weeks ago and used flash with no problem (they have a nice stadium for a D2 school).

Thomas_1122 wrote:
I shoot 10+ D2 football games a year around the southeast (Gulf South Conference). Most of the games are at night on poorly lit fields.

While I'm not generally a big fan of flashed football, I've used it a fair amount this season. I've only been to one stadium that told me flash photography wasn't allowed (and in that stadium, I assumed it was fine as flash was being used on the home side. When I fired up on the visitors sidelines, announcers came on loudspeakers and announced that flash photography wasn't allowed in that stadium).

I haven't been able to find anywhere in the NCAA D2 rules that says flash isn't allowed, and I believe that decision is made by each school (if a particular stadium doesn't allow it, should be in the media guide (or as someone said, contact the SID and ask)).

Honestly can't remember if have shot flash in playoffs - but doubt it (those games are usually scheduled for 12:00 noon (or close to that). So flash isn't usually needed.

That's interesting.
The season is over for the team in question for me now but they playd all of theif home games in a high school stadium with BAD lighting in the endzones. Using 6400 helps( I do not have that capability yet) but if low-power flashing at , say ASA 1250 helps, I'm all for it.

For next season, i will ask the NCAA and the school about that. One photog who believed in the 'F11 and wait rule " in flash shooting at the games tried it and but did a full power flash which bothered players.

canonet wrote:
One photog who believed in the 'F11 and wait rule " in flash shooting at the games tried it and but did a full power flash which bothered players.


I've not shot a college game with flash but I've never had any players or coaches complain about or really even notice the flash at the many high school games I've shot over the years. Unless the guy was flashing a "Better Beamer" right into their faces from a few feet away, I doubt they really noticed but that's their call not mine.