[ChuckElias]

This is a very nit-picky question. It was discussed ad nauseum on an IAABO interpreter's conference call last season. The only reason I bring it up now is that I was just going through an old "refresher" exam and this question was on it. So I thought I'd throw it out for discussion.

Team A submits their roster before the game. The ref counts 11 players warming up for Team A. When he checks the book, there are 12 names listed. Coach A tells the ref that one player is coming late from another school function but will be here to play at some point. This has happened to everybody, right?

Now, FED 3-2-1 says that the names of all team members must be submitted 10 minutes prior to the game. Fine. But 4-34-4 defines a team member as "a member of bench personnel who is in uniform and is eligible to become a player."

Now, the kid who is running late is not in uniform and is not eligibe to become a player, since he's not even at the game site. By rule, should we make the coach remove the kid's name from the roster? This would mean (obviously) that when he does show up in uniform and eligible to become a player, his name would have to be added to the book at the cost of a technical foul.

I can't believe that's the intent of the rule. But as written, is this the conclusion we have to come to?