As written in the 2025-26 NFHS Basketball Rules Book:
ART. 1 … A player is one of five team members who are legally on the court at any given time, except during time-outs or intermissions.
ART. 2 … Bench personnel are all individuals who are part or affiliated with a team, including, but not limited to: substitutes, coaches, manager(s) and statistician(s). During time-out or intermissions, all team members are bench personnel for the purposes of penalizing unsporting behavior.
ART. 3 … A substitute becomes a player when the substitute legally enters the court. If entry is not legal, the substitute becomes a player when the ball becomes live. A player becomes bench personnel after the substitute becomes a player or after notification of the coach following the player’s disqualification.
ART. 4 … A team member is a member of bench personnel who is in uniform and is eligible to become a player.
4-34-1: This rule change updates the definition of a player to clarify that a player is one of the five team members legally on the court at any given time, except during time-outs or intermissions.
The change ensures consistency in rule enforcement by recognizing that it is difficult to distinguish between players, substitutes, and bench personnel during time-outs and intermissions. This clarification also supports the accountability of coaches for all team conduct during these periods and helps avoid misapplication of penalties such as technical fouls.
Rationale: This change ensures consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting conduct by bench personnel. It allows officials to issue technical fouls to bench personnel during time-outs, aligning with the current rules for intermissions. It eliminates confusion and potential misapplication of rules and ensures fair and consistent enforcement of penalties for unsporting behavior, regardless of the individual’s role.