More than one mandatory substitution
 

I looked through my casebook and couldn't come up with a definite procedure for this situation, which was presented to me today by a fellow official.

A1 drives to the basket and is fouled by B1. A1 falls awkwardly and the trainer comes on the floor to attend to him. Team A has no time-outs remaining. The foul is B1's fifth personal foul.

Both players must be replaced by rule. Is there a right/wrong way to do this? Do we:

1) Wait until A1 can be moved from the court and then handle the substitutions or get B1's sub while A1 is being tended to?

2) If we wait for A1 to be moved from the court, do we replace B1 first (20 seconds) then replace A1 (20 seconds) or vice versa; or do we replace them during the same 20 second interval?

Now change the original scenario just slightly. Team A wants to use a time-out to keep A1 in the game. Do we replace B1 immediately and then grant A's time-out? (I think we do this.) Or do we allow Team A to use its time-out to fix A1 and then resume by getting B1's sub?

I vote for informing B's coach and getting a sub for B1 while A1 is being tended to, then when A1 is getting off the court replace him/her.


Rule 5-8-3b says a time out is granted during a dead ball "unless replacement of a disqualified, or injured player(s) or a player directed to leave the game is pending, and a substitute(s) is available and required.

Agree with Clark and it is mandatory to replace the disqualified player before the time out.

If there's an injury, I'm going to beckon in the trainer right away.

If they decide they want to keep him in the game by using a TO, I am inclined to deal with what happened first: the foul.

I would report the foul before I grant any TO. Table will tell me that this is B1's 5th, at which point my P will get B1's replacement. At that point, the TO, if not rescinded, is granted to Team A.

Just my 2 cents.

I'd start the timer on B right away.

For A, I wait for the sub. Usually, the team will gather in front of the bench. If a 5th team member stands, then I ask if that's the sub and have him / her report (only players can stand during this interval -- I'm usually not too strict on the rule, but here I'll use it to my advantage).

In the TO scenario, same thing -- except I ask the coach if we have a sub or if they are going to use a TO.

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