Who gets to sit on the team bench?
 

During pregame warm-ups last night, I notice two young children (about 7-10 years old) on the floor with the visiting team. They are retrieving balls, passing them back to the players, and not causing any problems. I ask one of the players who they are and he says they are the head coach's kids. The R them asks if I know by rule if they should/can be allowed on the floor or on the bench during the game. I can't pull out a rule that says they can't, so my reply to him is that since there is no rule against it, they can be there.

When the game is about to start, I also noticed three young folks sitting on the end of the home bench as well. It is obvious they are not managers, statisticians, or scorers, but somehow affiliated with the team.

Does anyone have any rule based standards they follow other than 4-34-2 that dictate who may or may not occupy the team bench or be on the floor during warm-ups?

I couldn't care less who sits on the bench. The head coach is responsible for their behavior. That's all the rules address and all we need to know.

As long as they stay seated and quiet I have no issue with who is on the bench.

Don't be a plumber.

Again, a Fine Profession Down the Toilet
 

Or, be a plumber, just don't be a basketball official who's prone to overofficiousness. Or something like that.

"Every time you flush, you put food on my family's table"

If coach wants to be responsible for more people on his bench, then that's his problem. Don't make an issue out of something you have no power over.

Environmental Chemical Analyst ...
 

That's my line. It's gross, but it's still my line.

The only real answer is what your state/association/conferences says.

Other than that the coach is responsible for their behavior.

Peace

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes ...
 

Keep in mind that if those kids are sitting on the bench and tell an official to, "F*** off", they can't be ejected. Only adult bench personnel can be ejected. These cute, little, tykes can only be disqualified?

"Don't be a plumber", "don't be OOO", etc doesn't answer the question. ranjo already stated that he did nothing about it because he knew of no rule that prohibited it.

This is why I said what I did about who ultimately has jurisdiction. I know in the post season that is defined in my state who can participate. I do not think kids are apart of that equation. I would not be surprised if this is the case in most places.

Peace

Except it doesn't matter if the coach wants them as "assistant coaches." If they're on the bench, the head coach is responsible for them. If he doesn't want that responsibility, don't let them stay on the bench.

Yep. Had a similar situation once in a small town VB game where the coach was simply a Dad who agreed to take over the team when the previous coach left right before the season. He had a few students sitting on his bench, and they started to get out of hand.

I simply informed him at that point that he was responsible for their behavior and if they wanted to act like fans, they needed to go sit with the fans. They stayed put and we had no more issues.

Had a girls playoff game this year where the visiting team dressed about 25 players (only 12 or 13 were in the book though) and they all sat on the bench.

Half way through the third I hear some unhappiness from the end of the bench/second row of the bench after a call I made. I just asked the HC to tighten up her bench and neigh a word was heard since.

Wish I could have done the same for the fans for that game. They took the term Fantastically retarded to a new level.

Interesting usually things of that nature get tightened up when playoffs start...in Missouri, once district play starts rosters are limited to a max of 15 players.