Coaching Box Q&A
 

Iowa just revised its coaching box rule. Coaches are now allowed to stand and coach again....i think it has been 9 years. What do you think of the revisions...

Basketball Coaching Box Q & A:

Q1. Are the coaching box lines required to be on the court?
A1. Yes, the coaching box lines are required to be on the floor for all basketball games involving students in grades 7 – 12. The
game shall not begin until the lines are properly marked.

Q2. Is there a color and/or length requirement for the coaching box lines?
A2. Coaching box lines shall be 2-inches in width, are recommended to be a minimum of 3-feet in length, extending from the
sideline away from the playing court, and may be any single solid color.

Q3. Our school administration wants our head coach to remain seated and not utilize the coaching box. Do we still have to put the
lines on the court?
A3. Yes, the coaching box lines are required to be on the floor for all basketball games involving students in grades 7 – 12. The
game shall not begin until the lines are properly marked.

Q4. Our basketball court is longer or shorter than the regulation 84-feet court. Where should we mark the coaching boxes?
A4. Measure from each end line 14-feet toward the scorer’s bench and place one coaching box boundary line. Measure 14-feet
from that line toward the scorer’s bench and place the other coaching box boundary line.

Q5. May the head coach squat or kneel within the coaching box?
A5. The head coach may squat within the coaching box but may not kneel. Coaches need to have both feet on the floor within the
coaching box.

Q6. The head coach is standing outside of the coaching box instructing his/her players. How should the game officials address this
situation?
A6. One warning may be issued reminding the coach he/she must remain in the coaching box. Any subsequent infraction of this
nature shall be penalized with a technical foul.

Q7. The head coach is standing out of the coaching box questioning the judgment of or berating the officials. How should the
game officials address this situation?
A7. A technical foul shall be issued without warning.

Q8. The head coach of Team A sits on the opposite end of the bench from where the coaching box is located so that he/she is not
sitting within the coaching box boundaries. The coach rises only when ¬permitted by rule such as to request a timeout or to
spontaneously react to an outstanding play. Is this permissible?
A8. Yes. The coach is not required to use the coaching box. However, if the coach begins the game by sitting somewhere other
than where the coaching box is located, he/she may not use the coaching box privileges anytime during the game. The coach
must begin the game in a position within the box if he/she wishes to stand when -permitted under the coaching-box provisions.

Q9. The head coach of Team A begins the game by standing within the coaching box. After a couple minutes the coach then
proceeds to sit at the end of his/her team bench which is located six feet outside the coaching box nearer the scorer’s table. Is
this permissible?
A9. No. If the coach begins the game within the coaching box, those provisions are in place for the entire game. The coach may
not sit outside of the coaching box and then rise and walk to the coaching box in order to use the coaching box privileges. It is
recommended that the end of the team bench nearest the scorer’s table coincide with the 28-foot line of the coaching box.

Q10. A team has co-head coaches. Are both coaches allowed to use the coaching box?
A10. No. The coaches must designate to the game officials at the pregame conference which head coach will have coaching box
privileges for the game.

Q11. A technical foul is charged to: (a) a Team A substitute; (b) Team B's manager; (c) Team A's athletic trainer; or (d) Team B's
assistant coach. In all cases, the foul is charged because of uncomplimentary remarks addressed to an official. What is the
result?
A11. The individuals in (a), (b), (c) and (d) are all considered to be bench personnel and have violated the rules governing conduct
while on the "bench." A second technical charged to any of these individuals results in disqualification. In addition to charging
a technical to the individuals in all cases, the technical foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach resulting in the loss of
coaching-box privileges. A second technical foul charged directly, or the third technical foul (direct or indirect) charged to the
head coach results in similar disqualification and ejection.

tl:dr (and, neither will the coaches ;) )

many of the latter items seem to come right from the case book

I didn't know any states remained that still didn't have a coaching box rule. I learn something new every day.

Quick poll: if you are from a state currently without a coaching box rule, tell us about it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

To most of us these are not revisions, they are what we've been accustomed to.

Out of curiosity, how strictly do you guys adhere to the coach can't leave the box to sit on the bench?

Would you rule that the coach has terminated the right to use the box in any of the following scenarios:

The coach goes to the end of the bench (not within the box) and sits down to speak briefly with an injured player that is receiving medical treatment/attention. The coach returns to the box after assessing the players injury and ability to return to the game.

The coach leaves the box to retrieve a dry-erase marker, pen or some other item that he/she dropped (don't read this as threw in anger, because throwing stuff like a child should result in a TF and the box is gone anyway) or to retrieve some other item (jacket, clipboard, roster, etc) that is not within the coaching box.

No portion of the bench area overlaps the area designated for the coaching box. The coach goes to the bench and sits down for a brief period to rest, get a drink or speak with a player and remains on the bench for (a) while 2 FTs are attempted by either team (b) during an entire possession on either end of the court (c) for multiple possessions (d) during a timeout or between periods or (e) the duration of an entire period.

I ask because I've never seen any official treat the coaching box like it is a magical island that once it is left it can't be found again, but the rule book seemingly wants it to be treated that way. On another note, I've seen the coaching box marked as an entirely solid area contrasting in color with the sideline. Would anyone object to such a method of marking the coaching box?

Common sense: If the coach isn't making it my problem, it isn't my problem.

Coaching box enforcement is something that varies by state and even assigner.

I would not have a T for a single one of your scenarios. That would be like breaking into jail. Common sense.

Generally if the coach steps out of his box from time to time while actively coaching his players, I don't have a huge problem with it as long as A) he's not obstructing the table's vision, B) he stays out of the way of players and officials, and C) is not acting like a jackass. If he does any of these things (except maybe (C)), a polite request for cooperation is usually all it takes to make the problem go away. If it persists, perhaps a warning or a technical would be in order.

One note about exercising this kind of discretion. If the other coach is staying completely in his box and behaving like a saint, it's probably best to deal with the first coach sooner rather than later, because if you later have to deal with the saintly coach, the first thing he will say is, "Well you've let him work out of his box the entire game! So why are you hassling me?" And he would have a valid point.

Game awareness. Preventative officiating.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've worked in front of a D3 coach who used to monitor what the other coach was doing and then comment about it in our ears. That guy is now a D1 coach.

I agree with all of the comments here. The thing I find interesting (and the biggest reason I posted the scenarios) is that just about every where I've worked or watched games, the mentality about this is the same despite the rule book suggesting we should be enforcing this differently.

I am wondering if I'm missing something though based on CrossCountry's response. He said he wouldn't have a T in any of my scenarios, but I was asking whether or not any of those actions would cause the coach to lose the opportunity to use the box. If we followed super-strict adherence to the rule and determined the coach lost the coaching box for one of the actions I described, wouldn't we just notify him/her that he/she can no longer use the coaching box. Then if he/she returned to the box after the notification, a technical would be given at that time? Am I accurate or does any action that causes the coach to lose the box also require a technical foul.

If the coach begins the contest with the coaching box privilege, then the only way to lose it is due to a technical foul (whether direct or indirect).

My only quibble with the Iowa regulations for the coaching box is the one stating that the coach may not kneel. There is no rules support for that.

Yeah I don't get that either. If a coach wants to stand on his hands for the entire game while within the box, I don't care. In fact I'd be pretty impressed.

My belief is that the state governing body views this as a safety issue. They don't want a player or official who is running down the court to not see and be undercut by the kneeling coach.

So there is a rationale behind it. I just don't agree with the regulation.

Yeah I hear ya. And I agree, it's an unnecessary regulation.

Actually, the rule does support that. It says the coach must remain seated then lists exceptions, all of which are "may stand". No exceptions exist that permit anything other than standing. That said, I don't know of anyone that enforces it that literally, but it does say that.