Seasoning for broiled chicken on the skin side before cooking is permitted.

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The main idea here is how surface moisture affects browning and crispness during broiling. For a skin-on chicken, achieving a nicely crisp, browned skin relies on keeping the skin surface dry so the high heat can do its job quickly. If you season the skin side before cooking, especially with salt, that salt pulls moisture out of the skin and the surface becomes damp. That moisture creates steam instead of searing, which slows browning and prevents the skin from getting that crisp, attractive finish you want under a broiler. So, for the best broiled chicken skin, you typically avoid seasoning the skin side far in advance and instead apply seasonings just before broiling or after cooking (or season the flesh side or under the skin where appropriate) to maintain a dry surface. This is why the statement is not the recommended practice.