Free Throw Situation!
 

Varsity Girls Game . . .

About 45 seconds left in the first half of a tie game. Team A is fouled while shooting. We line up and shoot the first shot. I am the Lead, my partner is the Trail (2-person). Team B enters TWO subs after the first shot. One of the players for Team B does not exit the floor, so we have 6 players on the floor (my partner and I do not see this - always count players, I know!). I am watching the lane, I look to my partner for verification to administer the 2nd Free Throw, he says go ahead. I toss the ball to the shooter. Now, here is the tough part. One of Team B's players, who is occupying the first lane space in front of me, walks out of her space to the endline and then back to her bench (because she is the 6th player on the floor for Team B). I don't know there are 6 players on the floor, so I hold out my arm for a delayed whistle because she vacated her lane space after the ball was at the disposal of the shooter. Team A's shooter misses the 2nd shot, I blow my whistle and call the violation. Coach from Team A starts yelling that they have 6 players on the floor, and that it should be a Technical Foul. My partner gets into an argument where the coach from Team B tells my partner it was his fault because he had poor game management (thank goodness he didn't give him a "T"). So, my partner and I come together to talk about the situation. I tell him that we will call the violation, let Team A's shooter retake her second shot, and continue play from there. Both coaches seem satisfied, and we move on. Nothing else significant. (Team A ended up winning by 19.)

Now, if I am correct, according to NFHS rules, we should have assessed a Technical Foul because the ball is considered LIVE when at the disposal of the thrower, and having a 6th player on the floor during a live ball is illegal). We should have cleared the lane and had the shooter retake her the 2nd of two free throws because of the violation, then shot the two Technical Foul shots, and then inbounded the ball to Team A at the Division Line. Is this correct?

I would like to hear thoughts on ways to handle this situation as well? Thank you in advance for any input/advice.

Call and apply penalties in sequence they occurred.

It is (IMHO) not your job to know how many players are on the floor EXCEPT to apply the infraction. Thats the coach and teams job.

If you view the counting of players as a "service" to poor teams, team management or coaching - isn't that unfair to the other team?

Sounds correct to me. 10-1-6: A team shall not have more than five team members participating simultaneously. Live ball is not specifically mentioned in the rule, but being on the court while a free throw is shot would be considered to be "participating" in my book.

I have a little problem with this part, depending on what you mean by argument. Coach B is the one who just made a rather large screw up by not making sure two come out when two went in. If he tried to in any way turn this around and blame it on you guys, he could have easily picked up a second T of his own.

1) delayed FT violation on the B player who left the lane space during the FT. NFHS rule 9-1-6.
2) A team technical foul is charged to team B for having more than 5 team members participating simultaneously. No indirect "T" is charged to the team A head coach. The 6 players were participating in a live-ball FT. NFHS rule 10-1-6. Also see case book play 10.1.6. That ruling said that if one of the officials had <b>knowledge</b> that six players were participating simultaneously, you call the "T".
3) Re-shoot the missed second FT with no one on the lane lines.
4) Shoot 2 FT's for the "T".
5) Team A throw-in at center opposite the table.