[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I am going lay this issue to rest once and for all, and my remarks are based upon hearing Dick Schindler, who was still the NFHS Basketball Rules Editor at the time that the rule was adopted, speak on it at an IAABO Fall Rules Interpreters Meeting.


If one reads the NFHS Rules Book, and I have read it, one will see that there are two types of adult bench personnel: (1) the Head Coach, and (2) all other adult bench personnel. One will also see that there are three types of non-adult bench personnel: (1) Substitutes, (2) disqualified players, and (3) all other non-adult bench personnel; and players are non-adults by default.

One will see that when the Head Coach receives the appropriate direct and indirect technical fouls or a single flagrant technical foul he is and I quote: “disqualified and ejected.” When all other adult bench personnel receives the appropriate direct and indirect technical fouls or a single flagrant technical foul they are ejected. Ejection means to “leave the vicinity (out of sight and sound) of the playing area.”

One will see that when a player becomes receives the appropriate number of personal and technical fouls are a single flagrant foul, he becomes disqualified and becomes bench personnel. When non-adult bench personal receive the appropriate number of personal and/or technical fouls or a single flagrant foul, they become disqualified and are already bench personnel. The Rules specifically want the disqualified non-adult bench personnel to remain on the team bench and remain under the supervision of an adult.

One will also see that ejection is a penalty that applies only to adult bench personnel. Ejection does not apply to non-adult bench personnel. Why does ejection not apply to players and non-adult bench personnel? Because, all disqualified non-adult bench personnel must remain under the supervision of an adult. PERIOD!! When a player or other non-adult is disqualified, the game officials are prohibited from ejecting him by rule. If the disqualified non-adult bench personnel meets the requirements of the NFHS Casebook Play that I have quoted in a previous post then the game officials can have the disqualified non-adult bench personnel removed from the team bench but only if they remain under the supervision of an adult. A Head Coach cannot remove a disqualified non-adult bench personnel to an area such as the locker room, unless that non-adult bench personnel is supervised by an adult, because the Rules require disqualified non-adult bench personnel to remain on the team bench unless the Casebook Play must be invoked.

MTD, Jr.