You Can Ring My Bell ...

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Team A trails 56 to 55 with 60 seconds left in the game. Team A has the ball and is setting up a last second shot. A1, Team A's best player, accidentally trips over his own feet coming of a screen. A1 falls and hits his head on the floor. As he tries to stand up he stumbles a few steps. The official realizes that A1 is showing a symptom of a concussion and blows the whistle to stop the game. The official tells the coach that A1 "appears dizzy" and beckons the coach, and/or trainer, onto the court. The coach, realizing that he has used up all of his timeouts, and that if he steps onto the court he will have to remove his best player from the game, or take a time out at the expense of a technical foul, tells the official, from his bench, without ever stepping out onto the court, that, "A1 seems fine. I'll keep him in the game". By rule, if this were a normal injury, the sit a tick, or take a timeout, rule wouldn't apply because the coach and/or trainer did not come out onto the court. However, the way I read the new concussion rule, once the official feels that there is a concussion symptom, then even if the coach, and/or trainer, doesn't come out onto the court, the injured player who showed a symptom of a concussion must still sit a tick, or the coach must call a timeout, to keep him in the game. I am assuming that during the time interval to sit a tick, or during the timeout, a health care professional clears the player to continue playing in the game.

Discussion?

Billy:

There have been a number of relevant Rules and Casebook Plays listed in this thread so far. But the key to this play is: The Game Official has stopped play because, in his judgment, thinks that the Player has suffered a concussion, has lost consciousness or has become unconscious, or is so injured that the GO believes that the Player should immediately be attended to by Bench Personnel, and therefore beckons for the Head Coach to leave the Bench and attend to his player. Once the GO beckons the HC onto the Court, the player must leave and cannot re-enter the game (if certain Rules requirements are met) until the first opportunity to substitute after the clock has started. I have highlighted the words “beckons the HC onto the Court” because it is the key action by the GO that applies to all similar situations.

MTD, Sr.