6 Players on Court
 

An interesting situation I had in a Freshman Boys game the other night...

Team B commits a nonshooting foul. Team A is in the bonus so we are shooting one and one. Team B has at least 3 subs coming in so I let them in. (Team A also had a few subs who came in) After all the "confusion" of people coming in and out of the game, we are finally settled and Team B has 6 players on the floor. I am aware of this and of course, do not start the free throws.

I look at Team B's coach and he knows there are 6 players as well. He's standing there, waiting for his players to realize this and for someone to come out. After about 5 seconds of me looking at him, he finally calls a time out. I grant it to him and as expected, he was yelling at his team for someone not coming out. They come out with 5 players after the time out.

Here's the interesting part... this happens about three more times during the course of the game! At certain instances, even the parents in the stands were yelling "Someone come out!". But none do and the coach would again call a time out.

Q: Did I handle this correctly? Should there have been a violation? Or should I have given a "T" to the coach and/or the team?

FYI, you may have noticed that I used the pronoun "I" or "me"... yes, it was my first one-man game in a long time... I thought this would never happen to me again!

Interesting, but I believe I would have simply said "coach you have too many players, take someone out." Not sure why the T.O.s were necessary. Did the coach not select a player and ask him to leave? IMO in a frosh game this should not be a big deal. Help them get a player off rather than delaying...

"New rule this year guys -- you only get to have 5 players"

I like that!! :)

I'm not waiting on the coach, but saying, "I need one (whatever color) player off the floor, please." Or I tell that to the coach.

I'm not sure why you waited silently for them to realize; communication is your best friend (and in a one-person game, your only friend). Talk talk talk. I had this happen in a JV game last week (fortunately I had a partner, a good one). "Who's out, guys? You've got six." That's all it took.

You're welcome. It's my line. In fact, I used it twice this past Saturday at a middle school tournament. BTW - it was the same team both times. They actually had six come out a third time and the coach caught it quickly, looked at me and said, "Yeah, I know. New rule." He was smiling.

Under fiba rules the onus is on the coach to have the correct number of players on the court...not the official. see fiba 2 person 9.3. it can also be a technical foul to the coach.

i like this rule vs. ncaa etc.

"Onus" must be the Canadian spelling of "anus". Down here, our coaches each have one. Some of them even are one!

In fact, if you happen to leave yours at home, there are some coaches who will gladly rip you a new one.


Juulie - have you seen my meds? :o

Strictly by NFHS and NCAA rules the onus is on the team/coach to have the proper number of players on the floor as well. However, if I put the ball in play with 6 on the floor, it ALWAYS becomes my fault. Not by rule, just by the facts of life. I can't imagine that it's really any different in FIBA.

But that's not why I do it. My games go better when I use communication to prevent what I can prevent. If I can keep the ball from becoming live with six players on the floor, I've just saved myself a headache. If I can prevent players lining up illegally for a free throw, I've saved myself a headache. If a word or two will keep the thrower on his spot, or the defender from reaching through the boundary, I've saved myself a headache. The list goes on.

It's especially important in lower level games, because there are so many creative ways that inexperienced players can and will screw up. :cool:

a77,
You handled it fine. It sounds as if the coach was trying to teach his team to be responsible and communicate with each other when they substitute. You allowed him the opportunity to do that with his team. I have no problem with how you handled this.

Furthermore, since you were aware of the situation and didn't put the ball into play, there is no technical foul to call. There were never six team members participating. They were simply slow to leave the floor during a dead ball.

Nice game awareness.:)