Time to Eliminate the Seat Belt Rule?

[TimTaylor]

I agree we should keep the rule. Sitting an obnoxious coach keeps him further away from the officials and makes it less likely that he'll earn the 2nd T.

Unless the team bench is so close to the court that there isn't enough room, I see no legitimate reason for the coach to step onto the court. Enforcing the coaching box rules is a POE for us this year, but we don't hammer them unnecessarily. We try to gently remind them, even to the point of walking them back to the box. That said, it is a "coaching" box, not a "yelling at the referees" box, and if they abuse the privilege they risk losing it.

We had similar situation as that described in the OP in a game several weeks ago. Coach was sniping rudely at us from the opening tip, also occasionally wandering out of the box several steps. Less than 4 min into Q1 my partner called a foul - the coach was several steps out of the box and partially onto the court. I transitioned from T to L to administer the free throws, and as I passed him I quietly said "Coach, please watch the box". He responded loudly with a snide and disrepectful comment that earned him his first T and the seat belt. IMHO and that of my partner, it made the game better.