NFHS optional coaching box

[Rich]

Originally posted by tmp44
Pennsylvania (PIAA) has just adopted the 14 foot box this year. I've been to 4 scrimmages so far (our season does not start until Friday night) and only 2 of the schools had boxes on the court...only one of which was in a correct position. We have been told in PA to be strict w/ the coaches in the box, especially w/ NFHS going to Table Side Mechanics this year. Head coaches can be up in the box at any time coaching, but if they are out and "not coaching" (as in giving you an earful), they can pretty much expect a T...tolerance is supposed to be low. Also, any direct or indirect T to the coach from beginning of officials' jurisdiction (i.e., includes pre-game dunking T, etc) results in coach being given the seatbelt rule for the remainder of the game.

Whee! Pennsylvania finally gets with the times. I started there as a college freshman working subvarsity HS games...less than 20 years ago.

I will be happy when they turn the 14 foot box into a 28 foot box myself. I had a wanderer last night (who was a whopping 2 steps out of the box towards the baseline), but I simply can't remember the last time I even mentioned the coaching box to the head coach. "Being strict" and having "low tolerance" to me seems unnecessarily combative.

And tableside is GREAT. If you can't have a quiet talk with a coach after calling a foul, well, you'll have to figure out how this season.

--Rich