Stopping the never-ending flow of subs

[mikesears]

Game Situation:

Player A1 is getting ready for a 1-and-1 free throw attempt. Team B coach sends one player at a time to the scorer's table to report in. When the first player is done reporting and beckoned, he sends the second player to report. When the second player is done reporting and beckoned, he sends the third player to report. When the third player is done and beckoned into the game, he sends the fourth player to report. This all took about 45 seconds to complete and, in affect, he gave himself a time-out by doing this. I am confident that this coach was intentionally delaying the free-throw. Would you have kept the 2,3, and 4 player from reporting until after the first free-throw? If not, how would you have handled this?

I know the rule is that a player must have reported or be in a position to report before the ball becomes live. How does an official stop the above mentioned behavior?

[Mark Padgett]

Try this. After the second sub meanders onto the court, tell the coach to please have all his players ready to check in at the same time. Then put the ball at the disposal of the shooter regardless of what that coach does.

If he complains, tell him you can't delay the game that much and that's just the way it's going to be from now on. Tell him that if he needs that much time, he should request a timeout.

If he tells you there is no rule that forces him to do so, remind him you have full descretion to rule on unsportsmanlike conduct technicals. In fact, you could "stretch" a rule and say that bench personnel were trying to disconcert the shooter, although usually that rule is interpreted as pertaining to players on the court during a free throw attempt.

If he doesn't like it - tough.

[PAULK1]

I really don't see where all the confusion comes from on this topic. If you read 2-3 and the officals manual 116(NF)
they state that only players who are reported and ready to play are to be beckoned in. On situations where there is a foul, subs have until the the reporting offical beckons
to check in and be ready to play, everyone after that must wait. On violations when the whistle is blown those who are
reported in and ready to play are beckoned in eveyone else has to wait. None of this applies to TO or injuries or DQ"s.
If you are consistant with this coaches will adjust but if you are lax they will take advantage. By the way when you beckon in the subs and one of the players has his shirt tail out how many of you send them back to the table to wait for the next opportunity. (example of a player who has reported but is not ready)

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by PAULK1
I really don't see where all the confusion comes from on this topic. If you read 2-3 and the officals manual 116(NF)
they state that only players who are reported and ready to play are to be beckoned in. On situations where there is a foul, subs have until the the reporting offical beckons
to check in and be ready to play, everyone after that must wait. On violations when the whistle is blown those who are
reported in and ready to play are beckoned in eveyone else has to wait. None of this applies to TO or injuries or DQ"s.
If you are consistant with this coaches will adjust but if you are lax they will take advantage. By the way when you beckon in the subs and one of the players has his shirt tail out how many of you send them back to the table to wait for the next opportunity. (example of a player who has reported but is not ready)

How do you get this from 2-3 (R can rule on points not covered) and 116 (Before putting the ball in play, beckon any sub who has reported and is ready)?

I'd rather not have to rely on the "God" rule, if possible, and your examples seem to indicate subs must be reported before the ball becomes dead or the official has finished reporting the foul -- neither of those is true.

[PAULK1]

2-3 was a typo, I meant 3-3, As far as my examples go
reported and ready is the terminology used, Maybe I am
strict but then again I never have problems with subs running off the bench either.

[mikesears]

I don't have my rulebook in front of me but isn't the rule, "must have reported or be in a position to report . . ." I have always assumed that the latter part of that rule meant the player simply had to be up off the bench. My guess is that many coaches believe this, too. The latter part of the rule seems to indicate to me that a player who is moving toward the table to report can be allowed to enter the game.

However, in my case I was a little lax. The coach was taking advantage of that provision and getting players up just as the previous player finished reporting.

[JRutledge]

The reason you could not interpret that is because sometimes they do not go all the way to the table. And until they actually come into the game, they are still bench personnel anyway.

Originally posted by mikesears
I don't have my rulebook in front of me but isn't the rule, "must have reported or be in a position to report . . ." I have always assumed that the latter part of that rule meant the player simply had to be up off the bench. My guess is that many coaches believe this, too. The latter part of the rule seems to indicate to me that a player who is moving toward the table to report can be allowed to enter the game.

However, in my case I was a little lax. The coach was taking advantage of that provision and getting players up just as the previous player finished reporting.

[Brian Watson]

It would be hard to change this in Basketball, but I hate this situation as well. In volleyball all subs have to report at the same time, this makes life so much easier.