WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BENCH DECORUM

 

Throughout the season, the following rules and guidelines shall direct officials and coaches in the administration of bench decorum:

 

  1. Head coaches and other bench personnel who engage in the following unsporting actions, in or out of the coaching box, are in violation of the bench decorum rules and should be assessed, without warning, a direct technical foul (Excepted from the NCAA  Men’s and Women’s Basketball Rule Book – Rule 10-4.1, Appendix III; Officiating Guidelines):

    1. Disrespectfully addressing an official (i.e., questioning the integrity of an official, voicing displeasure about officiating through continuous verbal remarks).
    2. Attempting to influence an official’s decision (i.e., physically charging toward an official)
    3. Using profanity or language that is abusive, vulgar or obscene (i.e., directed toward and official, opponents or anyone).
    4. Taunting or baiting an opponent.
    5. Objecting to an official’s decision by rising from the bench or using gestures (i.e., excessively demonstrating officiating signals [e.g., traveling, holding, verticality] or excessively demonstrating by use of gestures or actions that indicate displeasure with officiating).
    6. Inciting undesirable crowd reactions.
    7. Entering the playing court unless done with permission of an official to attend an injured player.

  2. The rule states that the head coach shall remain in his/her team’s coaching box.  A coach is outside the coaching box when he or she is clearly and completely outside the prescribed coaching box.

  3. By rule, a coach may legally leave the coaching box during play only under the following conditions: to prevent a fight from escalating, to point out a scoring or timing mistake, to request a timeout to ascertain whether a correctable error needs to rectified or to seek information from the official scorer or timer during  a time out or intermission. 

    However, if a head coach is found to be outside the coaching box appropriately communicating with officials, coaching his/her team, engaged in miscellaneous legal activity or minor conduct infractions a single warning shall be issued.  Subsequent infractions will result in a direct technical foul.

  4. The head coach is responsible for the conduct and behavior of all bench personnel.

NOTE: Game officials will be responsible to enforce the aforementioned guidelines throughout the season; consistency in doing so will affect conference and/or NCAA championship selection and assignments.

 

  1. Assistant Coaches are to stay seated with the following exceptions:

 

To applaud a good play

To speak to a player on the bench, then immediately return to his/her seat

To tend to an injured player