RULE - 10 SECTION 5
BENCH TECHNICAL

The head coach is responsible for his/her own conduct and behavior, as well as substitutes, disqualified team members and all other bench personnel. Bench personnel, including the head coach, must not:

ART. 1 . . . Commit an unsporting foul. This includes, but is not limited to, acts or conduct such as:

a. Disrespectfully addressing an official.

b. Attempting to influence an official’s decision.

c. Using profane or inappropriate language or obscene gestures.

d. Disrespectfully addressing, baiting or taunting an opponent.

NOTE: The NFHS disapproves of any form of taunting which is intended or designed to embarrass, ridicule or demean others under any circumstances including on the basis of race, religion, gender or national origin.

e. Objecting to an official’s decision by rising from the bench or using gestures.

f. Inciting undesirable crowd reactions.

g. Being charged with fighting.

h. Removing the jersey and/or pants/skirt within the visual confines of the playing area.

i. Grasping either basket except to prevent injury; dunking or attempting to dunk or stuff a dead ball.

ART. 2 . . . Enter the court unless by permission of an official to attend an injured player.

ART. 3 . . . Use alcohol, or any form of tobacco product (e-cigarette or similar items) beginning with arrival at the competition site until departure following the completion of the contest.

ART. 4 . . . Stand at the team bench while the clock is running or is stopped, and must remain seated, except:

a. The head coach as in 10-6-1.

b. When a team member is reporting to the scorer’s table.

c. During a charged time-out, as in 5-11, or the intermission between quarters and extra periods.

d. To spontaneously react to an outstanding play by a team member or to acknowledge a replaced player(s), but must immediately return to his/her seat.

PENALTY: (Arts. 1a, b, d, e, f, 2, 4) The officials must warn the head coach unless the offense is judge to be major, in which case a technical foul must be ruled. (Arts. 1, 2, 3, 4) Two free throws plus the ball for a division-line throwin. If the head coach is the offender, the foul is charged directly to him/her. The foul is charged to the offender (if not the head coach) and also charged indirectly to the head coach. (Art. 1g) Flagrant foul, the offender is disqualified. If the offender is bench personnel, each foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach.

ART. 5 . . . Leave the confines of the bench during a fight or when a fight may occur.

NOTE: The head coach and any number of assistant coaches may enter the court in the situation where a fight may break out – or has broken out – to prevent the situation from escalating.

PENALTY: (Art. 5) Flagrant foul, disqualification of individual offender, but only one technical-foul penalty is administered regardless of the number of offenders. This one foul is also charged indirectly to the head coach. If the head coach is an offender, an additional flagrant technical foul is charged directly to the coach and penalized. When a simultaneous technical foul(s) by opponents occurs, the free throws are not awarded when the penalties offset.

NOTE: A single flagrant foul or the second technical foul charged to any bench personnel, other than the head coach, results in disqualification of the offender. A single flagrant foul, the second direct technical foul or the third technical (any combination of direct or indirect) charged to the head coach results in disqualification and ejection. Ejected adult bench personnel must leave the vicinity (out of sight and sound) of the playing area immediately and are prohibited from any further contact (direct or indirect) with the team during the remainder of the game. Failure to comply with the rules of ejection may result in the game being forfeited.