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I would not be so quick to call this a fake substitution. It is obviously an attempt at deception, but so is a play action pass. Assuming formation is legal, having broken the huddle after the ready for play, (not a usual time for a substitution) it might come down to what is being said between the player and the coach, as a player coming near the sideline to confer with coaches between downs is legal, and not considered a substitution or a conference. If the player is screaming "am I out" or the sideline is screaming, "get off the field" then yes fake substitution. Otherwise you have little ground to stand on defining this as illegal participation. In my opinion.
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