Water Cooler Play - Actionless Contest?
 

NFHS rules.

Team B only has 4 players - B5 is not there yet, but is "almost there," on their way. Opening jump ball is tipped OB by B jumper. Team A, being told the game will re-start regardless, does not want to continue until the 5th player is there. A has the throw-in, and reaches across the boundary plane, drops the ball onto the playing court, and leaves it there. Neither team moves to get the ball.

What do you do?

WHY ARE YOU STARTING AN NFHS GAME WHEN ONE TEAM ONLY HAS FOUR PLAYERS?

The NFHS requires five to start.

In short, do it right and don't take the court until the fifth player for that team arrives and then you don't encounter this problem.

Change this to the start of the 2nd half then. B5 left the game/injured. B6 is on the way. A has the arrow and does this. I know it's a crap water cooler play, but work with me here. I was racking my brain, and couldn't think of what I would tell someone to do.

Now since the game presumably counts, I seriously doubt that someone won't go after the ball.

Do you know that you are almost a decade late in posting this scenario on the forum? Look at the date of this thread. :D

http://forum.officiating.com/basketb...es-one-ya.html

Do you concur with the idea of double-technical fouls (one on each team), then double-forfeiting if it happens again?

No. I don't see how a double T serves any purpose here. The penalties would just offset, and I can't justify charging one to any individual so they would simply have to be team techs anyway. So no one is going to get into any trouble by being disqualified. Therefore, what's the point?

The best suggestion that I've heard for this type of thing is to ask the coaches if they simply wish to shorten the quarters--perhaps to just a few seconds. That's allowed by the rules. Maybe they only wish to effectively play only one quarter of basketball or perhaps even less.

If they don't want to play at all, then double-forfeit the game and go home.

In any event it makes for a short night for the officials.

Bizarro World ???
 

There was an IAABO Refresher Exam question on a situation like this a few decades ago. I looked, but I can't find it, so I don't remember the answer, or the rule citation. I do remember the question to be one of the most bizarre questions to ever appear on an IAABO Refresher Exam, maybe more bizarre than the question about a three point football stance being a legal, or illegal, guarding position. In the old days, when the five second count ended on the touch in bounds, this couldn't happen. When the NFHS changed the five second count to end on the release, this situation may have fallen between the cracks.

Any of you International Association of Approved "Bizarre" Officials guys, or gals, old enough, I mean, experienced enough, to remember this question? Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.: This may be worth a trek up into your attic. It's March, and it has to have warmed up a little bit up there by now.