[mplagrow]

It may or may not be in the rulebook, but if you allow the minor to go unsupervised to the locker room, you are opening yourself up to possible legal ramifications if little Johnny or Suzie manages to hurt themselves while on their own. Frank has a valid point. Parents nowadays are looking to sue anyone and everyone they can, and a minor being unsupervised could leave the official in a bad situation, even though the official did not direct the player to leave the bench area.

There's nothing written or implied that says a referee is responsible for the supervision of players out in the halls, the lobby, the locker room, etc. Leave that stuff to the game administration. Somebody would have a heck of a time making a case stick that a referee was liable for a student leaving the gym.