I attended games tonight as a spectator. Team A has a double digit lead, but their star is on the bench with 4 fouls. Midway of the 4th quarter, team B cuts the lead to 6, so A1 gets up to check back in the game. About this time A scores a basket just as the lead official swallows a bug or something. He blows the whistle and stops the game for a few seconds to regain his breath and his composure. The other official beckons the sub in. Coach B protests that the sub should not be allowed during an official's timeout like this one, since this was not a "normal stoppage of play." (paraphrased) They discussed it briefly, then Coach A called a timeout of her own, making it kind of a moot point. After the game, since he knows I am a rules expert, (I don't know how to do the rolling eyes icon) Coach B asked me about the substitution. I told him I knew of no such restriction, but I would check my books, which I did and found none. I also told him I had a source that knew everything I knew and also most everthing that I don't know. (give yourselves a hand) To make a long story short, (waaaay too late) is a substitution in this case legal?

This substitution is legal for NFHS and NCAA.

The only restriction on a "substitution opportunity" is the NCAA mens ruling that no subs are allowed on clock stoppages for made goals with under 1 minute remaining in the game.

[Edited by Nevadaref on Dec 1st, 2005 at 01:46 AM]

Actually, there's more restrictions in NCAA in the last minute. Rule 3-4.6 has the prohibition for subs during the clock stoppage after a made basket with under 1 minute. 3-4.7 adds:

Art. 7. (Men) Substitution shall not be allowed when the game is stopped in the last 59.9 seconds of the second half or any extra period to correct a timer’s mistake or for an inadvertent whistle.
Art. 7. (Women) Substitutions shall not be allowed when the game is stopped in the last 59.9 seconds of the second half or any extra period for anything other than a timeout, a violation or a foul.

Guess what - it's legal in FIBA to!

You cant sub on a play like that in the NBA, maybe he picked it up when he was coaching there