What to do?
 

Okay, here's one that was brought to my attention this morning from a game last night that I wasn't involved in.

Halftime, and visiting team is late coming back. Just after the horn, the girls start trickling into the court, but no coach. Players are all there, but the coach is late.

R doesn't realize it, so puts the ball in play to start the 3rd quarter. C realizes, but doesn't say anything because he's not sure what to do. L presumably doesn't catch it either.

Question, if the whole team is there after half time, but no coach, what do you do?

AFAIK, basketball is primarily a game between two teams comprised of five players each. If the coach can't be bothered to be there in time, too bad - game's not about him.

However, I have no justification for this whatsoever, so I could very well be very wrong.

Snaqs:

First the resuming play procedure does not apply to the start of a half (first or second half). It is a technical foul if a team is not ready to play within one minute after the end of half time. Second, since we are dealing with a game played by minors. I would never start play if there is not an adult coach on the bench to supervise the players.

MTD, Sr.

Mark, can you help me with the rules reference for that. I know it's the rule, I remember it. My P today thought so to, but we couldn't find the rule.

As for your point about the adult being there. I agree. That, and state rules pretty much everywhere prohibit games from being played without coaches. The liability issues involved seem staggering, should something go wrong.

Check your state regulations regarding what to do when there is no coach left to finish a game. I'd be willing to bet that they don't allow the game to be finished without the coach. I've not yet heard of the state that doesn't require an adult coach on the bench for high school ball.

I'm with Mark, the T would need to be called after one minute past the expiration of the half time clock.

Adam

I think that's the college rule, not the FED rule (but the martini could be clouding my mind). Ignoring the "no coach" issue for a moment, if the team isn't "on the court" for a minute, it's a T. If the team is "on the court" (at the bench) then use the resumption of play and charge a vioaltion if they don't inbound the ball when it's their turn.

I'm confused as to exactly what you mean by that statement. If you are wondering if the RPP can be used without one of the teams present to start the second half in NFHS games, then the FED ruling is:

10.1.9 SITUATION:
...
COMMENT: The resumption-of-play procedure is in effect to start the second half unless either team is not on the court. In that case regular delay provisions are in force.

I was contradicting MTD's statement that "RPP is not in effect to start either half". As you point out, it *IS* in effect to start the second half in FED. i'm 99% certain that MTD's statement is correct for NCAA.

Ah, much clearer now. So in an NCAA game if one team takes the court and the other continues to huddle at their bench just prior to the throw-in to start the 2nd half, the NCAA official CANNOT put the ball on the floor or hand it to the throwing team without a defense present, whichever the case may be?

Ok, so what's the rule for the sitch in my OP, then, in NFHS? One more minute then a T? If no RPP, then what are the "regular delay provisions?"

I also looked in this year's case book, and this ruling isn't there.

I would have to believe that if your state association demands that the adult coach be present during play then you would have to wait and if the delay is in excess of one minute, then assess a team technical foul under 10-1-5a, but if the coach isn't required then use the RRP or get the team out there and play.

Lastly, someone else did point out to me that the comment from that case play was dropped this year. However, the words still appear in the rules book in 4-38.

10-1-5a, that's what I was looking for. Don't know why I didn't think to look under actionless contest.

Thanks

One Minute
 

Regarding previous posts that have refered to a violation, or a foul, after one minute: Here in Connecticut, we have been instructed to put 9 minutes on the clock at the start of halftime, and instruct the table personnel to inform the teams at the three minute mark. After nine minutes, the first horn goes off, after 45 more seconds have passed, the 15 second warning horn is sounded, and finally, after 15 more seconds have passed, the final horn is sounded, at which time we are supposed to start the second half.

That's just weird. Why not just have 10 minutes on the clock? Instruct the timers to hit the horn with 1:00 left, and again with :15 left. It's the same thing.