[BillyMac]

I'm still working on this, but this is what I've got so far:

Administrative Infraction Technical Foul Penalties

Basketball officials do everything in their power to prevent administrative infraction technical fouls. For example, the officiating crew arrives on the court at least fifteen minutes prior to game time. Officials observe each team during pregame warmups, looking for illegal uniforms, and counting the number of members on each team. The referee meets with the table crew and reviews table responsibilities with the home scorekeeper, the visiting scorekeeper, and the timer. The referee also reviews the scorebook, looking for duplicate numbers, illegal numbers, and verifies that the number of team members in the scorebook coincides with the number of team members warming up. Once the game starts, substitutes eager to enter the game are given a “stop sign” and are only beckoned when allowed by rule. Officials count players after each substitution to ensure that there are only five players from each team participating before allowing the ball to be put into play. Finally, officials notify teams, and their coaches, whenever a team is granted its final allotted charged timeout.

Despite officials taking all the above steps to prevent administrative infraction technical fouls, these types of infractions still occur. An official may, all of a sudden, realize that there are eleven players participating. The horn may sound at an odd time, and the officials are informed that a player’s uniform number is not recorded in the official scorebook. Excess timeouts are requested, and granted. When these administrative infractions occur, officials must be prepared to deal with them, and penalize them, in the proper manner, within the proper time frame.

Some administrative infraction technical foul situations can occur before the jump ball is even tossed. If a team fails to supply the official scorer with its roster, and/or designate its five starting players at least ten minutes before the scheduled starting time, then a team technical foul is charged. This team technical foul is charged when it occurs, after the ten minute time limit. A maximum of one technical foul is charged for both requirements (roster and/or starters).

If a team changes a designated starter (with exceptions) after the ten minute time limit, then a team technical foul is charged. If a player starts, and that player was not designated to be a starter, the infraction has to be discovered, and penalized, before the ball becomes live to start the game. Once the ball becomes live, it is too late to penalize this specific infraction, and no penalty can be assessed. As a reminder, the ball becomes live when: on a jump ball, the tossed ball leaves the referee’s hand; on a throw-in, it is at the disposal of the thrower; and on a free throw, it is at the disposal of the free thrower.

Many administrative infractions can involve the scorebook and rosters. If a team adds a name to the team roster after the ten minute time limit, then a team technical foul is charged. When such a player legally enters the court, the player’s name and uniform number must be entered into the official scorebook. In order to penalize this infraction, the offending team member must be one of the five players currently in the game. In addition, if a team requires the official scorer to change a team member or player’s uniform number in the official scorebook (with exception), after the ten minute time limit, then a team technical foul is charged. If there is no request for change, or if a team member does not become a player, thus avoiding the change, there is no penalty.

Similarly, if a team requires a player to change to a number in the official scorebook after the ten minute time limit, then a team technical foul is charged. A maximum of one team technical foul is charged regardless of the number of players, and substitutes, not wearing the number indicated in the official scorebook. Each player must wear the number indicated in the official scorebook, or change the official scorebook number to that which the player is wearing. Any additional substitutes who become players and require the changing of the number indicated for them in the official scorebook will not result in a penalty, as the one maximum technical has already been charged to the team for this administrative infraction. If there is no request for change, or if the team member does not become a player, thus avoiding the change, there is no penalty.

Three scorebook situations: adding a name to the team roster, changing a name or a number in the official scorebook, and/or having a player change a uniform number, are penalized with a team technical foul when they occur, after the ten minute time limit. These infractions occur when the scorer is advised to add to or change the official scorebook. The foul must be charged when it occurs and enforced when the ball next becomes live. Once the ball becomes live, after such changes have been made to the scorebook, it is too late to penalize. Remember, the ball becomes live when: on a jump ball, the tossed ball leaves the referee’s hand; on a throw-in, it is at the disposal of the thrower; and on a free throw, it is at the disposal of the free thrower.

After the ten minute time limit a team is charged with a maximum of one technical foul regardless of how many infractions of the following are committed: changing a designated starter, adding a name to the team member list, requiring the scorer to change a team member’s or player’s number in the scorebook, requiring a player to change to the number in the scorebook, and/or having identical numbers on team members and/or players. Each player must wear the number indicated in the scorebook, or change the official scorebook number to that the player is wearing. Any additional substitutes who become players and require the changing of the number indicated for them in the official scorebook will not result in a penalty, as the one maximum technical has already been charged to the team for that team’s administrative infraction

If a team has identical numbers on team members, and/or players, after the ten minute time limit, then a team technical foul is charged. This infraction is charged and penalized upon discovery of identical numbers. Only one team member may wear a given number; the other must change to a number not already in use before participating.

Technical fouls for illegal uniforms (including illegal numbers) are not charged to the team, but are charged directly to the head coach. If a team member participates as a player while wearing an illegal uniform, then a direct technical foul is charged to the head coach, who will lose the coaching box privilege for the remainder of the game. This infraction is penalized when discovered, and the team member with the illegal uniform may participate without further penalty and is not required to change the number. A maximum of one technical foul shall be charged directly to the head coach regardless of the number of offenders.

If a team requests and is granted an excess timeout, then a team technical foul is charged. The penalty for an excessive timeout is assessed when discovered.

If a team has more than five team members participating simultaneously, then a team technical foul is charged. This infraction is penalized if it is discovered by the officials while being violated, in other words, the officials had knowledge that more than five team members were participating as players in the game while the clock was running, whether, or not, the ball was dead, or live, at the tme of the discovery.

If a player participates after changing a number without reporting the change to the official scorer and an official, then a player flagrant technical foul is charged. This infraction is penalized if it is discovered by the officials while being violated. In other words, it can only be penalized when the offending team member is one of the five players currently in the game, and is not bench personnel.

If the head coach permits a team member to participate after being removed from the game for disqualification, then a direct technical foul is charged to the head coach, who will lose the coaching box privilege for the remainder of the game. This infraction is penalized if it is discovered by the officials while being violated. In other words, this can only be penalized when the offending team member is one of the five players currently in the game, and is not bench personnel.

If a substitute enters the court without reporting to the scorer; and without being beckoned by an official, except between periods, then a technical foul shall be charged to the substitute. Each illegal substitute gets one technical foul per instance, whether they didn’t report, or entered the court without being beckoned, or both. However, two technical fouls are not charged if the illegal substitute doesn’t report and enters without being beckoned. A substitute technical foul is charged if recognized by an official before the ball becomes live following the first dead ball. Once the ball becomes live, the substitute is a legal player at that point, the foul is not penalized. Remember, the ball becomes live when: on a jump ball, the tossed ball leaves the referee’s hand; on a throw-in, it is at the disposal of the thrower; and on a free throw, it is at the disposal of the free thrower.

Officials must continue to diligently prevent administrative infraction technical fouls from occurring. Nevertheless, when these administrative infractions occur, officials must be prepared to deal with them, and to properly penalize them, within the correct time frame.