Time to Eliminate the Seat Belt Rule?
 

Listening to a local radio show the other day and the host's guest was a prominent local HS coach. He was talking about how he got his first T in five years the other night when he was warned for (as he described it...haven't heard the official's perspective yet) being a few steps out on the floor early in the first quarter. Coach is a little annoyed but jokingly says, "if you pay as much attention to the calls on the floor as you do to where I'm standing tonight, we'll be all right." He gets whacked. His biggest beef on the radio show was that he coaches his kids a step or two on the floor all the time, and that this is the first time in forever that any official enforced the rule so literally. He felt like the official was out to get him.

On one hand, provided the coach's account is accurate, I believe we may have had a "gottcha" referee situation, here. On the other hand, I think the T was justified because no matter how much you disapprove of an official's literalism, you can't make a snarky comment like that and expect to get away scott free.

But this is all backstory. The coach then went on to lament that the worst aspect of what happened was that he had to sit the rest of the game, making it much harder to coach, and the fact that the T happened so early in the game exacerbated the T's impact. It was like a game-long penalty rather than a spot-correction. He wants to end the seat belt rule in NFHS. Feels sitting is a prolonged humiliation that actually causes tension with the officials to fester, and that this aspect of the rule outweighs the deterrent effect that it purports to have.

And so I ask: What do you all think? Has the seat belt rule outlived its purpose? And does anyone know if the rules committee has ever pondered eliminating it before? (I'm thinking probably not considering the coach's authority to stand is still technically a state association adoption option, even though all but 2-3 states have now adopted it.)

It's additional incentive to behave; leave it the way it is.

And even assuming the coach's story is accurate, I have no pity.
Part of our job is to watch the whole game, including keeping the coach off of the court. If I tell a coach to stay off the court, and he decides to ridicule my attention, there's a sure way to keep him off the court.

I know the ref who T'd him and one of the partners. I'll stay out of this convo. :)

Seriously though, I could do without the seatbelt rule.

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Which Seat Belt Rule ???
 

We eliminated the seat belt seat rule (in most states) in 1989. Coaches can now stand and coach. crosscountry55 is probably referring to the seat belt penalty rule.

Carry on.

This was pretty obvious in context.

Or Else ...
 

When old farts like me hear "seat belt rule" we think back to the days when we would often (very often) instruct coaches to, "Please sit down" (usually without the "Please").

Are there any states out there that do not use the optional coaching box?

What Do You Mean That I Have To Sit Down ???
 

A few years ago I had a coach who almost chose not to have a kid play with an illegal number rather than the coach sit down the rest of the game and allow the kid to play. It was a tough decision for her, but she finally lamented to let the kid play. Standing is a big deal for coaches. I coached middle school basketball before and after the coaching box rule, and I much preferred standing.

For the most part I don't care if a coach is a step or two on the court when coaching as long as they are WAY out of the play. If it comes to a point where it may become problematic I do remind a coach to be aware of his position on/by his bench. If I ever do run into a coach and they are on the court I'm Ting them up without even thinking.

As long as they are not in the way of the game at all, and they aren't out on the court to yell at me, I'm pretty lackadaisical when it comes to them staying in the coach's box.

Part of my speech to coaches, if I'm the R, before the game goes like this...

"Mind the coaching box. I've never run into a coach, and I don't want to make history tonight." Or, "mind the coaching box. You're a lot bigger than me and if I run into you I'm going to get hurt."

I get a little laugh out of that, and I feel it's said in a way that they remember it. Not that I haven't had to tell a coach to get back, anyway.

As for the seat belt rule, I like it. It's a penalty for them being stupid. Without it the first technical is no more than a slap on the wrist. Sort of like a yellow card in soccer. It's like... "whatever, I got away with something."

It's February. If I tell the coach I need him to stay in the box and he mouths like this fellow did he's earned the T. It's not hard for a coach to make it through a game without a T. If they get one let them sit. Frankly, it might save them from getting tossed....

The "T"s I've had this year really seemed to quiet things down... I like the rule.

They didn't get away with anything. They get assessed a technical foul, a team foul, and the other tean gets 2 free throws.

Works well in colkege ball.

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Yes, they don't completely get away with it. :rolleyes:

While I'm sure there are plenty of idiotic coaches in college, I can't help but feel that percentage is much higher at the high school level and lower.

To take things further... I like that coaches, especially in some cases, have to sit and for the most part stay out of the way. If they were able to stand then there's a much better chance for another altercation that would lead to an ejection... and those always go over so well.

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.

Is there anyone out there in the least bit confused by the original post?

Didn't think so.

I'd eliminate the belt after a technical. If it were up to me the box would be 28' as well.