[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by referee99

My SOP is to make sure that there are no chairs for either bench closer to the division line that the 28' mark. More often than not, these chairs were set up by JV or freshman players tasked with doing so, and they just got them open and in the vicinity. Often there are 2 or 3 chairs 'north' of the line and I will ask that they be moved, or will just do it myself.

Now you guys have got me confused. The NFHS gives us precise, get out your tape measure, definitions of both the coaching box, and the timeout area, yet the definition of the bench area seems a "fuzzy". Can a player sit on the bench between the twenty-eight foot line, and the table? Can a coach sit on the bench between the twenty-eight foot line, and the table, if he, or she, chooses not to stand in the coaching box? Any citations other than the citations below?

1-13: TEAM BENCH LOCATIONS, COACHING BOX, TIME-OUT AREA
ART. 1 The location of each team's bench shall be designated by game management. It is recommended that the benches for team members and coaches of both teams be placed along that side of the court on which the scorer's and timer's table is located.
ART. 2 The coaching box shall be outlined outside the side of the court on which the scorer's and timer's table and team benches are located. The area shall be bounded by a line 28 feet from the end line, the sideline, a line no more than 14 feet from the 28-foot line toward the end line, and the team bench. These lines shall be located off the court, be 2 inches wide. NOTE: State associations may alter the length and placement of the 14-foot (maximum) coaching box.
ART. 3 The time-out area shall be the area inside an imaginary rectangle formed by the boundaries of the sideline (including the bench), end line, and an imaginary line extended from the free-throw lane line nearest the bench area meeting an imaginary line extended from the coaching-box line.