Bench or Player personnel?
 

I thought this was discussed/covered on this site but I am not having any luck.
See Case Book 4.34.1
Is the COMMENT correct? During a time-out, A1 is considered a player and not bench personnel. That is completely opposite of the Rule Change. If the Case Book is wrong, then where does NFHS post corrections?
So here is my question. If everyone is Bench Personnel during Time-outs/Intermissions, then when do they become Players again? My understanding is they are Bench Personnel until the ball becomes live.
6-1-2 Ball becomes live....
a. On Jump ball, the tossed ball leaves the official's hand
b. On Throw-in, it is at the disposal of the thrower
c. On Free Throw, it is at the disposal of the Free Thrower.
So back the case play 4.34.1. The Time-out 2nd horn sounds. A1 is on the court and curses the official. Is A1 a player or Bench Personnel?

Errata …
 

Nice catch Zoochy.

The paper NFHS 2025-26 casebook contains a copy-paste error from the 2024-25 casebook.

2025-26 NFHS Basketball Rules Changes

In a change to Rule 4-34-1, all players in the game will be considered bench personnel once an official signals for a time-out. This change ensures consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting conduct by allowing officials to issue technical fouls to bench personnel during time-outs. Prior to this change, if a player warranted a penalty for unsporting conduct during a time-out, an official was required to determine if the player had been in the game or on the bench.

4-34-1: This rule change updates the definition of a player to clarify that a player is one of the five team members legally on the court at any given time, except during time-outs or intermissions. The change ensures consistency in rule enforcement by recognizing that it is difficult to distinguish between players, substitutes, and bench personnel during time-outs and intermissions. This clarification also supports the accountability of coaches for all team conduct during these periods and helps avoid misapplication of penalties such as technical fouls.

Rationale: This change ensures consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting conduct by bench personnel. It allows officials to issue technical fouls to bench personnel during time-outs, aligning with
the current rules for intermissions. It eliminates confusion and potential misapplication of rules and ensures fair and consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting behavior, regardless of the individual’s role.

4.34.1 SITUATION: Team A requests a time-out; at the conclusion of the time-out as the teams are returning to the court, A1 curses at the game officials. RULING: A1 is assessed a technical foul. The foul will count as one of A1's fouls toward disqualification and count toward the team foul count. An indirect technical foul is also charged to the head coach resulting in the loss of coaching-box privileges as A1 is considered bench personnel in this situation. COMMENT: During a time-out, A1 is considered bench personnel and not a player.

We've been told that bench personnel become players when the ball becomes live (disposal, tossed).

Thanks. I am have a pissing competition with Tom Bromeland on Facebook.

The NFHS published a correction for this on its website prior to the start of the season back on October 15, 2025.

Here is the link and the corrected version of the case book play:
https://nfhs.org/resources/sports/ba...ations-2025-26


2025-26 NFHS Basketball Case Book Corrections: (Underlining shows additions; strikethrough shows deletions.)

4.34.1 SITUATION: Team A requests a time-out; at the conclusion of the time-out as the teams are returning to the court, A1 curses at the game officials. RULING: A1 is assessed a technical foul. The foul will count as one of A1’s fouls toward disqualification and count toward the team foul count. An indirect technical foul is also charged to the head coach resulting in the loss of coaching-box privileges as A1 is considered bench personnel in this situation. COMMENT: <strike>During a time-out, A1 is considered a player and not bench personnel.</strike> Once the official has instructed the timer to start the time-out, all players become bench personnel. They remain bench personnel until the ball becomes live following the time-out.

Thanks Nevadaref. I knew I read about the correction, but I was having difficulty finding the document. My brain is slipping.