Remaining players

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Rich

It would take a very specific situation where a team would be allowed to continue with one player.

The inbounder could throw it off an opponent -- that's about it.

Here's how I always envisioned it:
Team A (with one player remaining), up by 8-10 points with only a minute or two left in the game.
Team B with 2-3 players remaining, and no timeouts.

Team B shoots, scores. Team A player simply doesn't move to inbound the ball... let the official decide when the throw-in count starts, and whistle the 5-second violation accordingly. Best guess, Team A could run 7-9 seconds off the clock after every made basket by Team B. Assuming Team B takes 2 seconds to score after inbounding, Team A could run off 40ish seconds with 4 possessions, which might be enough to secure the win.

Once Team B takes the lead, of course, the game is over.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by jTheUmp

Here's how I always envisioned it:
Team A (with one player remaining), up by 8-10 points with only a minute or two left in the game.
Team B with 2-3 players remaining, and no timeouts.

Team B shoots, scores. Team A player simply doesn't move to inbound the ball... let the official decide when the throw-in count starts, and whistle the 5-second violation accordingly. Best guess, Team A could run 7-9 seconds off the clock after every made basket by Team B. Assuming Team B takes 2 seconds to score after inbounding, Team A could run off 40ish seconds with 4 possessions, which might be enough to secure the win.

Once Team B takes the lead, of course, the game is over.

If the Team A player was smart, they would wait for the official to begin the 5 second count. Then, when the count gets to 4, throw the ball toward the other end of the court with some serious backspin on it, hoping it wouldn't go out of bounds. This would increase the amount of runoff after each basket made by their opponent.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

I found the casebook play with the verbage that discusses this.

3.1.1 SITUATION:

After six players have been disqualified, Team A has only four who are eligible to continue in the game as players. In a gesture of fair play, the coach of Team B indicates a desire to withdraw a player so that each team will have four players on the court.

RULING: This is not permissible. Team B must have five players participating as long as it has that number available. If no substitute is available, a team must continue with fewer than five players. When only one player remains to participate, that team shall forfeit the game unless the referee believes this team still has an opportunity to win the game.

[jTheUmp]

Originally Posted by Whistles & Stripes

I found the casebook play with the verbage that discusses this.

3.1.1 SITUATION:

After six players have been disqualified, Team A has only four who are eligible to continue in the game as players. In a gesture of fair play, the coach of Team B indicates a desire to withdraw a player so that each team will have four players on the court.

RULING: This is not permissible. Team B must have five players participating as long as it has that number available. If no substitute is available, a team must continue with fewer than five players. When only one player remains to participate, that team shall forfeit the game unless the referee believes this team still has an opportunity to win the game.

Ah, yes... I call it the "Hoosiers" ruling...
What the casebook doesn't say, of course, is that there's no requirement for the 5th player to actually have to participate in the game beyond being on the court.
"Coach, you have to have 5 players on the court, but you could just tell one of them to stand in the corner and not do anything"

[scrounge]

In addition to the casebook, the rule book has the same note


RULE 3, SECTION 1, ART. 1

Each team consists of five players, one of whom is the captain.

NOTE: A team must begin the game with five players, but if it has no substitutes to replace disqualified or injured players, it must continue with fewer than five. When there is only one player participating for a team, the team shall forfeit the game, unless the referee believes that team has an opportunity to win the game.