Technical Administration
 

Team A calls timeout. As Team A and B are walking off the court, a member of Team B walks through the Team A huddle. One player from Team A and The Huddle Invader from Team B go nose to nose. Coaches get between players. Everyone from Team B comes running off the bench and from where they were huddling during the timeout, including assistant coach. Every player left the team area of B to run over to Team Area of A. Obviously, bench guys are disqualified. What about the players that were on the floor in front of Team B's bench who come running over?

1. I don't share your opinion that the team members from Team B are automatically disqualified. The rule requiring a DQ for bench personnel specifies leaving the team bench area. However, this action occurred during a TO and during such bench personnel are not restricted to the team bench area.

2. Team B members are required to remain in the time-out area during the granted time-out. They can be penalized for not being in that location or they can simply be penalized for unsporting behavior.

3. The five players for Team B remain players during a TO and are not bench personnel. They are required to go to the time-out area. Not doing so would be grounds for an unsporting technical foul. Behaving poorly and causing or participating in a confrontation would also warrant an unsporting technical foul.

Summary of how I would handle the penalties for this action:
a. Double player technical fouls to A1 (nose-to-nose confronter) and B1 (huddle invader). Penalties offset = no FTs awarded. 1 team foul to each team.
b. A single team technical foul charged to Team B for all of the team members and the asst coach who left their time-out area and ran over to the Team A area. This is also charged indirectly to the Team B Head Coach. One team foul added to Team B total and 2 FTs awarded to Team A, plus a division line throw-in opposite the table to resume.

HTBT, I guess -- but this could easily qualify for "when a fight might break out" (or whatever the specific wording is)

This was my first thought, as well.

Guys, that rule is 10-5-5: "...Leave the confines of the bench during a fight or when a fight may occur."

As I already said, that rule specifies leaving the team bench, but during a TO the team is not confined to the bench.

Applying this rule to a situation in which it isn't a perfect fit is problematic and could lead to an incorrect ruling.

For example, during halftime the 10 team members who were just players reach the hallway first as the teams exit the floor and an altercation occurs. Those who were bench personnel at the sounding of the horn rush into the hallway after them. If A2 and B3 fight, but none of those arriving late actually participate are you going to DQ them under 10-5-5?

What if the two teams have an altercation in the hallway after everyone has left the court? What if it is upon returning to the floor to warm-up for the second half? 10-5-5 doesn't always apply.

I would probably penalize any situation as I would normally. Unless a bench player came all the way across the court, I am not going to consider them for anything more than what they do.

Really this is a HTBT situation. Has a situation several years ago where there was a fight right at halftime and teams had to cross. We just threw out the players directly involved and did not consider anything special when it came to bench personnel.

Peace

I think this is a situation in which we can consider the spirit and intent of the rule. The intent of the rule is keep players from leaving their bench area when it could escalate a heated situation.

The fact that it doesn't fit perfectly with other situations, including those you mention in which the potential altercation occurs completely off the court, doesn't -- by itself -- convince me that it shouldn't be applied here.

Timely play
 

Video: Third-quarter dustup between Clackamas and Central Catholic leads to technical fouls - OregonLive.com

Sorry I didn't know how to embed the clip