Prep basketball coaches in Iowa will be able to walk the sidelines much more often this season as the "seat belt" rule, keeping coaches mostly tied to their benches, has been done away with.

Upon recommendations from the IGHSAU and IHSAA Basketball Advisory Committees and with the support of the IGHSAU Board of Directors and contingent upon approval from the IHSAA Board of Control and the Joint Committee, the head coach may stand within a designated coaching box effectively immediately.

The first technical foul charged directly or indirectly to the head coach results in loss of coaching box privileges and the head coach must remain seated for the remainder of the game. The use of the coaching box is for the head coach only and may not be designated to assistant coaches.

The National Federation Basketball Rule 1-13-2 states "that the coaching box shall be outlined outside the side of the court on which the scorer's and timer's table and team benches are located.  The area shall be bounded by a line drawn 14 feet from the end line towards the division line.  At this point, a line drawn from the sideline toward the team bench becomes the end of the coaching box going towards the end line."

A release Monday from the Girls Union stated:

"The administrative staffs of the IGHSAU and IHSAA recognize the additional freedom this provides head coaches to “coach” their athletes.  It is of the utmost importance that coaches understand the privilege that is being afforded them and the responsibility that comes with it.  It is the expectation of the IHSAA, the IGHSAU, the IBCA, and the Basketball Advisory Committees that this freedom be guarded carefully within the coaching fraternity and exercised diligently by the officials calling the games.

"Officials are instructed to permit certain behavior by the head coach who engages in spontaneous reactions to officiating calls/no-calls provided the head coach remains in the coaching box and the reaction is not prolonged, profane, vulgar, or threatening.  At the official’s discretion, recurring spontaneous reactions by the head coach may result in a warning with subsequent incidents resulting in a technical foul.  When complaints become more public or the attacks personal, there should be less discretion exercised by the official.