The "Substitution Mess" described by Indy_Ref brings up a related situation.

Players are at their benches for a time out. Two Team A subs have already reported legally. After the warning horn, two more Team A players report and are told they'll have to wait until the next opportunity arises. They kneel at the table.

The horn sounds to signal play is to begin. The coach is giving last second instructions and is in a rush to get 5 players on the court. He looks to the table and sees the two subs still there. He's told by the scorer that they can't enter. The officials on the floor are about to put the ball at the disposal of the throw-in team. The coach points to his bench and says, "You and you, get back in there."

I read somewhere that it's more important to know who's comimg off the court than who's going in. This would seem to be one of those times. But in all honesty, neither as a floor official nor as a scorer, have I paid much attention to this as teams come to their benches for a time out or at the end of a quarter.

In this situation, whose responsibility is it to ascertain that the two players who were in the game when the time out began ("You and you") are still in the game when the ball becomes live? Scorer or floor officials?

Sven

Without looking in the book! I would assume it is the responsibility of the table(scorer). However, once the ball becomes live.... even illegally entered players, become players.... So I would have to say this would have to be noted prior to the ball becoming live on the throw-in.

Substitutions
 

In casebook 3.3.3B pg 16, it doesn't seem that there would be any penalty. However, it seems that a tech would be in order when the clock stops and the scorer tells the officials that players are in the game who have not been properly recorded. Does anybody have the correct procedure?