The seatbelt

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

The rule means that a coach's tuchus is supposed to be in contact with the bench. Squatting in front of the bench is not in compliance with the rule. When the "seat belt" rule was adopted back in 1970-71 (this was prior to adopting the "coaching box" rule) a well known H.S. coach in Western Pennsylvania loved to spend the entire game squatting in front of the bench, and he was told by the PIAA that the NBCUSC (National Basketball Committee of the United States and Canada, the forerunner of the NCAA and NFHS Rules Committees) interepreted the rule as to read that the coach must be seated not squatting in front of the bench.

I will remind him once, maybe twice but if I have to give him the second T I want to be in front of him and not do it from the end line or from across the court.

MTD, Sr.

Pennsylvania? If some there had their way, there'd still be no coaching box. And 1971? Back then you were too busy working with a pea whistle, counting lack of action, and making sure to get in the Cadillac position. And I was 2 years old.

Much ado about nothing. Worrying about whether a coach's tuchis is touching the bench or not is about 13 on my top ten list of important things to do.