Just curious about the states that use the optional coaching box. Have most of you been instructed to let the coach be up constantly (so long as they are not officiating) or have most of you been instructed that the coaches must be seated unless they are actively coaching? I've heard both from two different interpreters here in our state of Washington.

Thanks,

Z

Keep in mind I got back in this season...and after the clinics/camps so I may have a different opinion after the next meeting.

I'm in Texas and my experience is they can be up constantly as long as they behave. I will even let them roam outside the box to center court (don't cross the line) and down in front of their bench (maybe a little past) as long as they are observing and coaching their players. Once they start officiating, they stay put in the box.

The same things.
 

They can do whatever they want to in that area. There is no special requirement for them to sit or stand. Head Coaches have the coaching box privileges unless they lose it Technical Foul. If the question is what they can do while in the box, the same thing if they are sitting down.

Peace

They can be up constantly. No requirement to be seated at any time unless they get a T. In practice, most officials are very informal about the box and will usually not pay any attention to the coach if they are a little out of the box but are coaching. A courtesy reminder to stay in the box is all that is usually done.

6 ft box
 

in louisiana we use the 6 ft box and they may use it to coach however they choose. They are discouraged to roam all down the sideline and I definitely do not want them standing at center court with me. As Cameron stated usually a comment about watching the box will usually get them back in it. They only lose the box if the receive a T.

The coaching boxes in my games are always optional. It's my option whether to let the coach continue to use it or to take it away from him/her. ;)

Up here in NH I would say we are kind of casual about the box--They can be up all they want--sure helps the game if they do the coaching and let us do the officiating

Z,

I just wanted to make sure since tonight is my first HS game this year. Per the interpreters meeting if they do not have the coaching box marked on the floor then the coach is automatically seatbelted. Is this correct?

If this in fact true, do we penalize the visiting coach and seat belt them also because the home time does not have their floor properly marked?

Smoref,

If not coaching box is marked, then both coaches are "seat belted" except for the 7 things that they are allowed to do (call a time-out, spontaneously applaud, etc. etc....). However, the best thing to do would be to find a gym manager and have them use tape to make a coaches box for each team (yeah, that's allowed per the interpreter this year) and then report that school to a board member of our association for follow-up (how much can it cost to paint a couple boxes?).

Have a good game. I'm with Captain Jack and Terry O. at Stanwood tonight. 4 games in 4 nights this week... heck of a way to "ease" into the season.

Z

Prior to either the 1969-70 or 1970-71 (I am leaning toward the '70-'71 school year for reasons that are not important to this discussion.) school year, there was no "seat belt" or coaching box in the National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada (NBCUSC). (For the benefit of newcomers to the Forum, the NFHS and NCAA rules committees are the direct descendants of the NBCUSC.)

The NBCUSC adopted what we call the coach’s bench rule (“seat belt”) starting with the ’70-’71 season. The rule adopted then had no provision for a coach’s box and was less restrictive in one area than the rule as it is currently written. The rule as written originally way back in 1970 allowed the Head Coach to stand during dead ball, stopped clock situations (i.e., A floor violation has been called by an official, the ball becomes dead with the violation and the clock is stopped, the ball remains dead until the throw-in touches a player on the court (I know, I know, that is not when a ball becomes live during a throw-in now.) and the clock starts. When the NBCUSC adopted this rule the OhioHSAA went one step further and did not allow Head Coaches to stand during dead ball, stopped clock situations. One could say that the OhioHSAA was ahead of the curve as far as this part of the rule is concerned.

I do not remember exactly when the NFHS and NCAA rules committee adopted the coaching box part of the rules, except that when they did, the NCAA eliminated the “seat belt” rule and adopted the coaching box (28 feet in length) and the NFHS kept the “seat belt” rule while amending it by dropping the “during a dead ball, stopped clock situations, and made the coaching box a StateHSAA adoption (six feet is length). It should be noted that the 28 foot hash marks were chosen because they were already part of the floor (I can’t remember if the fore-court and mid-court rules had been eliminated yet, I think they had been by this time) because these hash marks divided the front court into mid-court and fore-court areas.

It should also be noted that when the “seat belt” rule was adopted the OhioHSAA required a report to be submitted on a special form every time a Head Coach received a technical foul for a violation of the rule. I still have some blank forms. My wife thinks I should get rid of them but I think that they are quaint. Of course some of you are probably thinking that I put the OhioHSAA’s printer’s children through college because of number of forms I had to complete.

It should further be noted the OhioHSAA that officially experimented with the coach’s box rule before it was adopted by the NFHS.

As far as the MichiganHSAA is concerned it did not adopt and coaching box until just a few years ago.

I let the head coach anywhere on their side of the 28' line. Provided that they are coaching their players and not saying a word to the officials, or making any comments. Also, I try to keep the coaches as far away as possible from the table. I find that they tend to create a distraction and in certain instances have started to abuse the table crew. I like to try to prevent that before it becomes a problem.

They have the privledge to stand, and I have no objections to taking it away from them if they deserve it.

I let them know all this when I'm talking to them before the game starts.

Someone's been to the attic...

...looking through the briefcases ;)

Actually, I did not go to the attic or open a briefcase. I wrote it all of the top of my head which is easy to access because there is no hair to go thru to get to it.

MTD, Sr.

PA
 

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.