Assistant Coach in the stands
 

Last night we had an interesting situation. About a minute before the game starts an assistant coach walks around the floor and walks up to the top bleacher in the crowd. Then at halftime he comes down and gives information to the coaching staff. He then comes back and sits down on the bench in the second half. To my understanding he would be bench personnel and cannot leave the bench area for any unauthorized reason. So, do we assess an unsporting technical? What if the coach does not come down on the bench in the second half and stays in the stands?

Wasn't this exact same question asked last season?

Maybe splitveer wasn't around here last season.

Was it judtech?

Similar.

"AC" coaching from stand

The rule has changed or there has been a clarification since this conversation. But this was an issue in one part of my state.

Peace

Thanks Jeff. Guess my answer from last year would still stand for me. Of course that's assuming specific direction or clarification isn't in place.

Couldn't of been, he wasn't running his mouth!:D

:D:p For JV games we sit at the end of the bench. I do however, try to get my Nachos prior to me taking a seat on the bench, but sometimes the cheese hasn't been warmed up yet and I wait for a quarter or half to end before leaving the bench for the concession stand!
LOUD - I tried the nachos for the varsity game but I kept spitting out chips when I called the plays!! I have eaten through a few towels in my time though!

So what splitveer mentioned is legal? Just wanting some clarification to make sure I understand.

Here is the problem. Unless we know the status of a coach with a team we have no idea what they are or what they are not. The only way most of us would know who an assistant coach was if at one time during the game they were sitting on or near the bench. So if that person leaves the bench then we would easily know they are associated with the team in some way. And this was a new rule/clarification that team members need to be near their bench area and cannot leave during the game. So in this situation it seems like there is a violation of the rule and can be penalized. (10-3-6l and 10-5-5)

Peace

In this particular situation, let's just say the officials had this team earlier in the season and remembered this coach. As they were observing before the game they noticed that this coach took a seat on the top row across from the bench area with binder in hand. As the half got over, they met the asst coach and head coach in the hallway on the way to the locker room talking. Now does it matter if (a) he sits on the bench for the 2nd half or (b) if he takes his seat back in the stands where he was for the first half?

Nope. If he starts on the bench, he needs to stay there. If he doesn't, I don't care. As long as he's not joining the huddle during timeouts, nothing prevents a coach from having an AC sit in the stands. He's not bench personnel.

And if he joins the bench during the 2nd half, no big deal. He stays there.

Frankly, I wouldn't even care if he spent the 1st half on the bench and decided to watch the 2nd half from the bleachers.

Also, what if he starts the game in the bleachers & cusses at the officials in route to the locker room at the half?

Is he bench personel or just a fan?

Could be the coach's brother; could be a prominent donor; could be the father of three players; could be....

He's just a fan.

But if he then shows up on the bench in the 2nd half, he'll get the short leash.

If he wasn't on the bench, he's not bench personnel. That doesn't stop you from having game management eject him from the building though. ;)

Cool, thanks!! And if he joins a huddle in the 2nd half, I ask the coach who he is. He says assistant coach... whack? He says parent... GM tosses?

The assistant coach is covered under rule 10-4. Under that, he is covered for unsporting conduct anywhere. Afaik there's no rule covering non-unsporting conduct while he's sitting in the stands or having a dump. The only restriction that I know of when he's in the stands is communicating electronically with the bench(10-1-3) or unacceptable fan behavior.

Don't make up your own rules. If you think it's a problem, kick it up the ladder and let the powers-that-be decide what to do. That's their job, not your's.

What are you going to whack for at this point?

For his comments at the half now that I know he's an assistant :D

Seriously though, ACs dont have to sit in the bench area & can join t/o huddles anytime during the course of the game?

We do not know who is an assistant unless they are acting as one. So unless they are sitting at the bench area how are we to know what their ultimate role is on the team? How would I know a player that is on the team unless they are sitting on the bench. I think you are overthinking this IMHO.

Peace

Nah. Like I said, if a fan curses at me in the hallway then shows up on the bench during the 2nd half. Short leash.

And no, that's not what I said. Once he's on the bench or in the huddle, he stays there (with some exceptional circumstances exempted). If, however, I notice a pattern, I'll inform the coach:
"Only bench personnel are allowed in the huddle, and anyone from the bench who leaves the bench area during the game earns a technical foul. Choose now whether this person is a fan or an AC."

You mean like the 'patter' of little feet?

Yeah, sure. :D

10-3-6 deals with players and 10-5-5 refers to team members which an AC does not fit the description of unless they are a player-coach.

If he is bench personnel as we get ready to start the 2nd half I have no problem whacking him before we start the second half. He's not going to get a free run at me in hallway because he was sitting in the stands in the first half.

I see him sitting on the bench before the ball becomes live I'm gonna ask the HC if that person is part of his bench personnel. If "yes" he gets whacked for cursing me in the hallway, if "no" then he needs to leave the bench area.

I like, I like!

Anyone else think of the scene from Hoosiers where the AC stumbles into the gym mid-game and gets T'ed for being drunk after the coach "It's ok, he's my assistant."?

Where can we find this?

Hmmm. Interesting point. We've obviously talked about team members not leaving the area, but I'm not sure if it says who's allowed in the huddles.

Might be a 2-3 issue, not sure, but I'd have a hard time with a fan coming down to join the huddle every timeout. I think would provide/allow an advantage not intended by the rules.