Delay Returning to Court
 

Seems to be some disparity among my fellow officials here on this one. Time out on the court . . . team B makes substitutions during the time out. When they return to the court the officials "count" players and give lead the OK to inbound the ball (who is opposite table). Problem: team B has only 4 players. Coach realizes that there are only 4 and yells for his player to get in there. Player runs on to the floor after the ball has been inbounded and eventually catches a pass and scores. It was a contested shot so he didn't catch them off guard. Here's the question: do I have a technical foul in accordance to 10.1.9 OR do I have nothing according to 10.3.2 (check out sit. B in the case book)?

T.

the diffference is between a TO and a "lengthy substitution" (or whatever the phraseology is in the case).

This is one rule I'd like to see changed.

That's why I pointed out the substitution during the TO.

I would agree that we have a T here. But for which infraction? Failure to bring out 5 after the timeout or for the player coming onto the court without being beckoned?

He's not a substitute. He doesn't have to be beckoned.

Ahhh... But of course

Just go with the team T for failing to have all 5 return at the same time.

Nine Plus One Equals Ten ???
 

10.1.9 SITUATION: Following a charged time-out Team B is still with their coach on the sideline when the official sounds the whistle to indicate play will resume. Four players of B return to the court just in time to play defense as A1 attempts an unsuccessful three-pointer. B1 rebounds and throws a long pass to B5 who enters the court just in time to catch the pass. RULING: A technical foul is immed iately charged to Team B for failing to have all players return to the court at approximately the same time following a time-out or intermission. While it is true the entire team may be off the court while the procedure is being used, once a team responds, all players must enter the court at approximately the same time.

10.3.2 SITUATION B: After a lengthy substitution process involving multiple substitutions for both Team A and Team B, A5 goes to the bench and remains there, mistakenly believing he/she has been replaced. The ball is put in play even
though Team A has only four players on the court. Team A is bringing the ball into A’s frontcourt when the coach of Team A realizes they have only four players. The coach yells for A5 to return and he/she sprints directly onto the court and catches
up with the play. RULING: No technical foul is charged to A5. A5’s return to the court was not deceitful, nor did it provide A5 an unfair positioning advantage on the court.

It was instructive when the NFHS first issued these two play rulings that now appear in the case book as an interpretation on its website because they appeared together in one situation, however, there was a sentence that clearly distinguished the two. Personally, I agree with Bob and don't like the fact that they are different.

2007-08 Basketball Rules Interpretations

SITUATION 12: Following a (a) charged time-out; or (b) a lengthy substitution process involving multiple substitutions for both teams, A5 goes to the bench and remains there mistakenly believing he/she has been replaced by a substitute. The ball is put in play even though Team A has only four players on the court. Team A is bringing the ball into A's frontcourt when the coach of Team A realizes they have only four players. The coach yells for A5 to return, and he/she sprints onto the court and catches up with play.RULING: In (a), the officials shall stop play and assess a team technical foul for not having all players return to the court at approximately the same time after a time-out. The technical foul counts toward the team-foul count. In (b), the officials may permit play to continue without penalty. A5's return to the court was not deceitful, nor did it provide A5 an unfair positioning advantage on the court. COMMENT: Even though neither situation provided A5 or Team A with an advantage, teams are expected to return to the court at approximately the same time following a time-out. The officials should have also followed the prescribed mechanics and counted the number of players on the court, ensuring each team has the legal number of players. (10-1-9; 10-3-3)