Too many players on the court
 

Middle School AAU game played under NFHS rules.

After a timeout, the other team sent 6 players on the court. We brought the ball up from the backcourt to the frontcourt, when I noticed they had 6. I yelled to the ref, they have 6 on the court. The other coach heard me yelling, and yelled "So and so, get off the court!". His played stepped off the court right in front of the ref, and hustled back to the bench. I ended up getting a technical, for complaining that they didn't call a technical on them. They admitted they saw it, but ignored it.

I'm not complaining about my 'T' (I deserved it). But, are refs reluctant to call this 'T', because perhaps it's their fault for not counting and signaling?

Unfortunately, there are some spineless refs out there that won't call it becaus they think it's their fault. They're wrong. It's not their fault; or the rules committee wouldn't have this be a technical foul.

Some don't want to call it in AAU games. I think they're wrong, too (although I leave a bit more room for discussion here). I'd have called the T.

That said, if the refs never counted until after the player had left the court, it's not a T, as it needs to be discovered while being violated in order to be a technical foul.

Counting players prior to making the ball live is a pretty basic practice of basketball officiating. Sounds like you had a crew that was somewhat lacking in that area.

That being said, it is still ultimately the coach's responsibility to only put five players on the court. It should be called a T regardless.

Absolutely correct.

Absolutely correct.

Unfortunately, there were many mistakes made on this one.

Mistake #1: Coach failed to send only 5 players to the court.

Mistake #2: the officials either:

• didn't use the mechanic to ensure only 5 players per team are on the court
• ignored the illegal act
• followed the mechanic and missed the 6th player

While it is the coach's ultimate responsibility for fielding the correct number of players, the officials do have mechanics to catch cases where more than or less than 5 players are on the court from one team.

Mistake #3: The officials also should have assessed a technical foul against the team that had 6 players.

Mistake #4: I also believe that they should not have issued a technical foul against you for your informing the officials of your opponents having 6 players, unless you did so in an unsporting manner.

All in all, it sounds like 4 large mistakes were made.

I'm guessing Coach Bill probably crossed the "unsporting manner" line, as he did say in his OP that he "deserved" it.

The misapplication of one rule does not mean an official shouldn't enforce another and call a technical foul when warranted.

True, but in this case, it would have been prevented.

Well, sure, if any of the previous three "mitakes" hadn't been committed, it probably would have prevented the mistakes following. I just disagree that #4 is a mistake like the others.

My take on the OP gives me the same impression.

Coach,

What did you yell to the officials?

"Can't you f**king count?" :)

I cannot believe we are holding officials that are working an AAU Middle school game at a high standard. Scared to all a T? Four mistakes? I am sure the officials working the game were not the best officials around the area considering this is an off season middle school AAU game. Just an observation.

Peace

Where do we draw the line on this? If you see A1 go to the bench, then count 5 more players on the court would you call it then?

At that point, is Team A violating the prohibition against having more than five players on the court?

They were up until A1 stepped off the court, which the officials saw in the OP.