NFHS cracking down on coach behavior

Posted May 13, 2017 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Editor@heraldtrib.com

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is targeting bad behavior from basketball coaches as part of five new rules approved during its April meeting.

Effective with the 2017-18 season, play will be stopped and an official warning will be given to the head coach for misconduct by that coach or any other bench personnel. If the offense is deemed to be major in nature, a technical foul will be assessed as usual.

In addition to misconduct violations, an official warning will also be given for coaches who wander outside the designated coaching box on the floor. Any official warnings will be recorded in the scorebook.

"Stopping play and making sure that the bench and the coach know that an official warning has been given sends a clear message to everyone in the gym and impacts the behavior of the coach, and in some cases the behavior of the opposing coach," said Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials and liaison to the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee, in a news release distributed on May 11. "This change in behavior creates a better atmosphere and, many times, avoids the need to administer a technical foul."

Illinois High School Association spokesman Matt Troha said the IHSA would likely adopt the new rule.

"I think the changes for next year will help with the administration of high school basketball," said IHSA boys basketball Administrator Kurt Gibson. "In Illinois, we're fortunate that, for the most part, our coaches understand the importance of being good role models for their teams and fans so the addition of a formal warning for behavior shouldn't negatively impact the game."

In other changes, the NFHS rules committee approved enlarging the coaching box to 28 feet. The coaching box will be bounded by a line drawn 28 feet from the end line toward the division line.

A line drawn from the sideline toward the team bench becomes the end of the coaching box toward the end line.

Troha noted that extending the coaching box is optional for state associations and that the IHSA administrators and its rules officials "will need to talk that over."

"It's likely we'll adopt the extended length for the coaching box and hope that it does help coaches communicate with their players," Gibson said.

The coaching box is currently 14 feet.

"The committee thought the restriction of the (14-foot) coaching box limited the level of communication between the coach and players," Wynns said. "Allowing a coach freedom to move within the new box between the 28-foot mark and the end line provides a coach more access to his or her players."

Other changes made by the NFHS were to restrict identifying names on uniforms to school name, school nickname, school logo, player's name and/or abbreviation of the school's name; and when calling fouls, officials shall use the fingers of both hands to indicate to the scorer the number of the player and the number of free throws.

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