Basketball: New rule allows coaches to come onto the court

One of the new rules for the high school basketball season is that a head coach can come onto the court to break up a fight and doesn’t need approval from an official before doing so.

“By removing the requirement of the head coach being beckoned onto the floor by the officials, it should result in a more expedient resolution of the situation and restoration of order,” said Theresia Wynns of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Also, electronic devices such as a tablet can be used in coaching on the bench but they won’t be allowed to be used by an official as a video device to review a decision during a game.

A point of emphasis is to make sure the flow of games is not disrupted. Officials are being told to follow proper procedures when granting a timeout when there’s a loose ball. A request for a timeout does not guarantee a timeout until a player clearly controls a loose ball. Also, granting a timeout after a basket will be watched more closely. Officials had become lenient in granting timeouts to teams that had just scored.

The Southern California officials’ liason, Frank Obregon, said officials have been told to communicate better with coaches this season.

“You have the right and we have the responsibility to have a dialogue during a game,” he said. “We have to talk more. We have to communicate more. The world has changed.”

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com