Quick Q...5 Players?

[Oz Referee]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Similar situation:

For whatever reason, illness, injuries, disqualifications, ejections, very late, in a close game, a team is down to four players, however, there is one player, way down on the end of the bench, in uniform, who's, for whatever reason, name, and number were not in the book at the beginning of the game, unnoticed by the officials, and unknown to the coach, until he sends him to the table to sub in as the fifth player, when the scorekeeper announces to the coaches, and officials, "He's not in the book". The coach, whose team has the ball for the next throwin, considers the advantage of having a fifth player, versus, the disadvantage of adding a name, and number, to the book, earning a technical foul, losing the ball, the opponent getting two free throws, and the ball back. Can the coach refuse to sub him in for the reasons above? If not, can the coach just say, as in previous posts, "He's not available."?

IMHO - If he's not in the book, then he's not a player, therefore the coach can choose not to sub him in (and thus prevent earning a technical foul).