Could this happen?

[Mark Dexter]

Originally posted by Oz Referee
From a FIBA perspective - this sitch can't possibly happen.

Under FIBA rules a team MUST have two players on the court, or else they forfeit (regardless of score).

Which leads me to ask - has anyone had a game where one team has been left with just one player? I had a game a few years ago that went into 5 periods of extra time and both teams were left with 3 players on the court (one team started with 8, one with 9 players). Thankfully a player hit the winning free-throw with about 2 seconds to go, thus preventing it from going into a 6th OT!

Anyone had something similar? Does anyone know what the record is for periods of OT?

I had an intramural game where one team started with 4 players (the fifth player had been ejected previously, but was allowed to come back and "coach" this game).

End of the 2nd half, the 4-man team has guys start fouling out. With just a few seconds left, I call a shooting foul, the 4-man team shoots FT's, and ties the game up.

Beginning of the OT, another guy fouls out, and they're now down to 2 players. The score was either tied, or the 4-man team was down by 1 or 2 with 1.5 on the clock, when yet another player fouled out - the 4-man team was now a 1-man team, and I called the game.