[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

NFHS R4-S34-A4: A team member is a member of bench personnel who is in uniform and eligible to play.

The word eligible in NFHS R4-S34-A4 refers to team members whose names are in the scorebook , it does not refer to the StateHSAA rules pertaining to athletic eligiblity. Officials are only concerned with the eligibility per R4-S34-A4, not the StateHSAA rules.

Lets look at the play from a different perspective. A13 is supposed to have his name in the scorebook and he dunks the ball at the (a) the 12 min. mark or (b) the 8 min. mark, and both cases A13's name is NOT in the scorebook. A13 is still going to be charged with a technical foul in either case and his name will have to be added to the scorebook. This situation is not any different than if A13 was not planning to play in the game that night and just wanted to be on the bench and in uniform.

At this point we really should be discussing (b) and why the officials did not discover that fact that A13's name was not in the scorebook at the 10 min. mark in first place. But that is a discussion for another time.

As officials we do not care about whether or not the team member is eligible per StateHSAA rules. That is a problem for the schools involved and the StateHSAA. In either (a) or (b) A13's name has to be added to the book if A13 dunks that ball. As I said before, school mangagement is to blame for having a player that does not meet StateHSAA eligibility requirments taking part in game activities. As officials we must assume (I know, making an A(ss) of U and Me) that all players in team uniform are team members. No matter what the coach or the athletic director tells us about the player's StateHSAA eligibility, if A13 puts on a uniform and takes part in game activities he is a team member.

I was asked why I would not add A13's name to the scorebook if he commits a unsportsmanlike foul as bench personnel. That is a good question, and I have been thinking about it and to be honest I make do an about face on my interpretation on it. That also means I am going to talk to others to get their opinion on it. I am now leaning in the other direction.

But in the matter of dunking a dead ball, A13's name has to be added to the scorebook because of this technical foul which means the scenario in the above paragraph may require it to to be consistent.

As to the direction and when the Alternating Arrow is set. The AP is set toward B's basket when the ball is placed at Team B's disposal for the throw-in after the free throws for the technical foul(s).