Too many quarters
 

During the intermission between the 3rd and 4th quarter, team A forgets to send a sub to the table in time to replace A6, who has reached the state limit on quarters played. While we don't care about the quarter limit, the team obviously does, and my question is: is there any rules justification for getting the sub in the game in exchange for a tech? My common sense says there is something they could do here, because the technical is obviously less of a penalty than an eventual forfeit.

They can call a timeout, right?

They were out, but even taking an excessive would be better. Wow, can't believe I didn't think of that earlier. For the record, not my game, but rather my home town team was the visitor, and the the home team ended up not doing anything and had to forfeit the game this morning.

Maybe, the officials could have said by conference/state rules(whatever) A1 is no longer eligible to participate and a sub is required. Even after the first horn....just a thought.

Ideas...

In the spirit of the game--if B HC is not pitching a fit--just wave the kid in and play ball.

What about an argument along the lines of telling B HC that the table just now informed us all that A6 is about to play his/her 6th quarter and, based upon that (new) knowledge, we have to sub him/her out. Thinking along the lines of letting a kid play with 5 fouls for a minute because the table failed to let us know...we wouldn't penalize this, just immediately get the kid out of the game after we're made aware.

Worst case, if you have any chance of pulling it off successfully, can you step up and (wink, wink) say you saw the kid on the way to the table before the horn went off?

This obviously varies by state but here ohio says1.9) Penalty for participation in more than five (5) quarters per day:
• When discovered during a contest, the team shall be assessed a technical foul by the
official and the student shall be disqualified from the game. All quarters played shall
count toward the maximum permitted.
• When discovered after a contest is completed, there is no team or individual penalty
but all quarters played by the individual shall count toward the maximum permitted
for the player.
1.10) Length of quarters:
a. Varsity — 8 minute quarters.:

Yowza. No game penalty in Missouri for this, it's taken care of at state. A forfeit seems pretty harsh. Especially in the OP since the kid tried to get replaced. That sucks

I know I suggested a timeout, but I'd allow the sub.

As would I.

"Coach, you're saying #25 is no longer eligible? I need a sub, then."

I officiate by the NFHS rules book. I don't care about any restrictions that are particular to a league/conference about playing quarters. That is not my concern. The coaches and ADs can worry about that stuff. I'm not bending the substitution rules to accommodate them. If they encounter a problem they can take a time-out to prevent a player participating.

Officials shouldn't have to worry about such things. They are outside of our purview.

Next time they have the ball, just stop play and get the sub in.

Except that in some places, they do have to worry because they are in the rules.

In the OP, I'd ask the state (if they haven't already addressed it) how to deal with it.

We see similar items reasonably frequently in baseball where "local rules" are added without considering how the umpire should enforce them.

Local rules are made by fools.

From what I understand, the officials were made aware of the situation after the fact by a team B assistant who was keeping the book, who apparently also did the JV game. The home team didn't say anything about why they needed a sub. I think I would've tried to let the sub in if I knew what the deal was, but if the opposing coach was aware and/or upset, then I'm making the home team take a TO. Never seen a score of 2-0 reported until now!

It is a bit harsh, but at the same time, this is one of those things that assistants CAN'T allow to happen. Someone has to keep watch of these things, everyone knows about the quarter limit. And at the end of the day, whether it's for grades or quarters or whatever, if an ineligible player plays, it's a forfeit

I officiate on a basketball court in the real world. Not on an Internet forum and not inside a rules book.

I know these rules quite well because I'm a conference commissioner and I handle waivers that teams request (smaller programs can get a waiver for players to play in a 3rd half per night). I get that not every official is going to be versed in these rules, but I can't help that. That night, my concern is the game in front of me.

Officials here are not responsible for eligibility issues.

A couple of times I have had a coach complain that an opposing plsyer has exceeded the playing limit - I simply tell them that it's not in our area of responsibility and they need to have their AD file a complaint with the state associaion.

To answer the OP's question, there is not an NFHS rule that would justify allowing the late reporting sub at the expense of a T. The only option is using a time out as Rich suggested. If they don't have any time outs left, they can buy one at the expense of a T.

That said, as Rich and Adam said I would probably allow the sub if they reported before the end of the intermission between quarters.

Honestly, if I'm never told why they need to make the sub, I can't adjust.

If I'm told they need a sub because A15 is no longer eligible, I'm going to allow the sub. I think the spirit of the rules allow for this, just as they'd allow us to sub out a player who managed to DQ himself, injured himself or got blood on his jersey in the middle of the timeout.

OTOH, if they sub him out at this point, it may already be too late.

Nosebleed ...
 

Just tell the coach to punch the player in the nose.

Here's what we are to do in my state. We are supposed to remove the player as soon as we are made aware that they are playing in their 7th quarter. There is no in game penalty, but we are supposed to fill out a form. I am allowing a sub, even if they are late to the table.

So it is the officials' responsibility to keep track of that? That seems odd, but each state is different I suppose. The team that had to forfeit won the game that night by 30 or so, tough break

Actually, they lost by 2. ;)

I doubt that, but perhaps they just take the coach's word for it. I'd only take the word of the coach of that player. Opposing coach doesn't get to dictate this, IMO (unless the state says otherwise).