[JetMetFan]

Originally Posted by BayStateRef

Along these lines....

I was R for a varsity game, standing at the table before while the starting lineups were announced by the PA guy. Four home players are announced and four players run onto the court. But when the fifth starter is announced, it is not the same name as the last player on the bench.

The coach comes over and tells the scorer that No. 10 is starting tonight, not No. 21. The scorer takes out the eraser to change the book when I step in. I tell her not to make any changes....and then tell the coach the options: No. 21 starts and No. 10 can come in at the first dead ball. Or, No. 10 can start and we begin the game with two free throws for the visiting team. The coach opted to leave the book alone.

At halftime, I told the scorer that she cannot make any changes once the book had been approved without letting the officials know. She was not pleased with being told that. (I suspect I was not quite as neutral then as I am in retelling the story here.)

One thing about what you told the HC...remember NFHS 3-2-2a:

After the 10-minute time limit...a team is charged with a maximum of one technical foul regardless of how many infractions of the following are committed...

a. Changing a designated starter, unless necessitated by illness, injury, illegal equipment or apparel, etc., or to attempt a technical-foul free throw

He could have changed the starter without penalty if any of these situations applied. I’m nerdy enough that I’d probably say “Coach, is #21 hurt or not feeling well? If not…” then I go into his other options. I’ll know whether his team needs to shoot a T or if the kid in question is wearing illegal equipment.