Game Management
Appropriate
Interaction Between
Officials & Coaches
2015-2016
Managing the coaches box is just one element of Game Management.
•
History
The coaching box was put in for coaches to further communicate with their players.
It is designed to assist coaches in communicating with players on the court. Page 18
under “Team Bench Locations and Coaching Box” of NFHS Rules By Topic.
•
Misapplication
Enforcement has been inconsistent. This document will provide tools for your
toolbox in dealing with coaches.
Current reality
Preliminary Enforcement
(December 2015)
Regular Season Enforcement
(January 2016)
Have game management in consultation with
officials create a box. If game management
refuses, play the game without a box.
Regardless, officials shall contact their
assigner and assigner contacts WIAA.
Unless there is a designated coaching
box, play the game and both coaches
must abide by the head coaches rule
with no box. Notify assigner.
Schools that have
no painted
coaching box
Inconsistent…from
no box, tape on
floor, use of lines,
number of chairs
Coaches who are
out of the box
coaching
Mainly being ignored
with the justification
that the coach is “just
coaching”
Point out to the coach that he/she is out of
the box and direct the coach to abide by the
coaching box guidelines. Do not answer
questions when out of the box.
After a warning, technical foul.
Coaches who are
out of the box
complaining
Mainly being ignored
unless they are being
condescending
One warning. Subsequent violations are a
technical foul.
Technical foul.
Negative or crowdinciting gestures in
the box
Usually ignored or
downplayed by
officials
Action and reaction to gestures may be
criteria for a technical foul.
Technical Foul
Negative or crowdinciting gestures
outside of the box
Usually ignored or
downplayed by
officials
Technical foul
Technical foul
Coaches who habitually ask
questions while remaining within
the coaching box.
Current reality
Preliminary Enforcement
(December 2015)
Regular Season
Enforcement (January
2016)
Officials are responding to all
questions with no awareness of
perception and no boundaries
Inform the coach that the amount
of interaction is distracting from
the officiating
After warning, technical
foul.
Coaches who habitually ask
questions while out of the box
Consistently responding to all
Do not answer questions when a
kinds of questions and justifying
coach is out of the box. One
calls or no calls
warning. Subsequent violations are
a technical foul.
Technical foul.
A coach enters the floor to talk
to officials during a time-out.
Officials address the coach and
sometimes they walk the coach
back to coaching box
Officials walk the coach back to
the bench/coaching box and let
the coach know this is not the
appropriate time to have a
discussion. Warning if necessary.
Request the coach to go
back to their
bench/coaching box, if
coach does not comply technical foul
An assistant coach complains
about calls, stands (in or out of
the box) to coach players or
enters the floor during a timeout.
Officials are often treating an
assistant as if they are the head
coach.
Inform the head coach that the
assistant coaches are not allowed
the same privileges as head
coaches. One warning.
Subsequent violations are a
technical foul.
Technical foul.
• We need buy-in from you and your groups. If your leaders buy-in, this will succeed.
• If we don’t start working on this in December, we will have no chance in January.
• What coaches do in the box allows officials to have a little latitude. Out of the box behavior
removes the gray area (no latitude in January).
• A single technical foul does not disqualify a coach. Would you rather have the coach roaming
and criticizing all night or seated?
• RTO observations will include feedback on coaching box management when applicable.
Officials who consistently refuse to manage the coaching box properly will fail the RTO
observation and will be ineligible for postseason.
• The need for the enforcement of the coaching box also helps and contributes to the
recruitment and retention of officials. In all surveys conducted, the main reason for officials
leaving officiating or not starting is the behavior of coaches.