It’s overtime in an 8th grade girl’s game. Team A shooter is fouled with 2 seconds left; with Team A down by 5 points. I call the foul on Team B and award 2 shots to shooter. Team A calls timeout. Team A coach comes to me and says his shooter is hurt and that she has to be substituted. I ask about the injury and she is holding her knee. I allow the substitution and allow the sub to enter the game and take the two shots. Was I duped? Was the sub their best foul shooter? Or was it a legitimate request from the coach? What can I do differently to avoid being tricked? By the way, the fouled shooter made one of two and their team lost.

Thanks.

Look at it from the other direction. If you don't allow the substitution and she is really is hurt...what a quandry. I'd take the coach's word on this one and let the two coaches call each other liars if it comes to it. I would hate to be the one that doesn't allow the substitution and the player collapses because I thought the coach was cheating.

And by the way, you were probably duped!

if coach did actually dupe you then he also lost integrity with his players and the parents. he thinks he was crafty and so do some of the parents but everyone knows he's a liar.

My question

If player was truly hurt would you have noticed it? and the officals could have replaced her without a timeout...

I would question it but in the end, if the coach tells you shes hurt, she says she's hurt, you gotta let the sub shoot.

Although it would probably not much make a difference in this game this is where I like the NBA rule that if you are to shoot the FT's and unable due to injury that you wont play the rest of the game (flagrant 2 exception)

To answer your question Kelvin...I did not notice she was hurt. Not until the coach told me, did I know her condition. It did not appear serious...bruised knee, but she seemed to be in some discomfort. But I don't want to make a hurt 8th grader play the game. I wish it could be that we could let her shoot the free throws, if capable, and after the 2nd shot (good or bad) blow the whistle and let the sub come in. This might prevent such tricks by the coaches. But then again, trying to determine if a player is physically capable may not be our job.

I think you were ok. As I said coach said she was hurt, she said she was hurt...I would sub... One thing I might add is that if the other coach questions it, tell him or her same thing. If you think the coach is pulling something over you can always file a report with the governing body. It would put them on notice, they may investigate and they have a lot more power than we do...