[Pantherdreams]

I don't think the problem is with the rule or its enforcement. The problem was in how the official went about enforcing of all the options within his perview he went with the most disruptive to managing the game.

Option A) Disregard entirely he has no knowledge of why the player would head to the locker room. Washroom, get water, puffer, tape, injury, etc. If the coach was not allowing him or wanting him to go he would have stopped him. Thus authorized.

Option B) Allow player to go remind coach if he's going to leave area he needs supervision. Leave it up to coach to be responsible. Coach listens and doesn't give him anything else to worry about. Authorized.

Option C) Stop the player from leaving. Make the player return. Pause the entire game while doing. Disrupt and upset everyone involved more.

Option D)Coach Kinght's Prefernce - Penalize without explanation, reason or chance to correct. (Risking egg on your face only to find out later kid had a valid reason for leaving floor - we know what the visual is by walking like a duck don't make me a mallard) Now the game is dirupted, given undo advantage to the other team in a situation that did not clearly need to be penalized.

Option A or B solves it. C or D you now have disruption and increased stress/anxiety and Coach Knight expects recompense in the choice of D but has to suffer through C.