Another Injury stoppage scenario

[chartrusepengui]

Last night GV. Team B splits starters w/bench players and are rotating squads every 4 minutes or so. One group has 3 players: 6'3", 6'1", 6' that just tower middle. A1 shoots and B1 gets ball. B1 holds ball with arms straight up and pivots. She lowers arm to begin dribble. As she does this A1 dives in towards her and bangs into B1 shoulder and backs off like she hit hot stove.

B1 pushes ball and passes on FB. After pass, A1 walks over to her bench area and covers face with hands. I can see no blood. Hands covering face. B continues on FB and B2 goes in for lay-up. It's missed but the 3 towers (remember the towers) are taking turns tapping the ball back the basket. A1 still holding face and coach IRATE! He wants me to stop play. I don't see that A1 is hurt all that badly. Still no blood. Partner and I let play continue until finally A3 taps ball in. Throughout this time the ball was never grasped by anyone after the initial lay-up attempt. After bucket, we whistle for injury. Partner goes down to deal with coach as we have had a history.

A1's lip was cut on braces. No blood on uniform, no blood on floor - just inside her lip. Coach threatening to sue, yada, yada, yada. We start clock to replace and game goes on. BTW, at this point in game A is down 43 - 15. A couple other varsity refs in crowd were talking with us after the game and said while they believed we handled it according to Hoyle - perhaps we could have whistled the injury after the initial missed lay-up due to the score. Partner and I disagreed as no one ever had control of ball. What say you to this scenario and other refs thoughts?

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by chartrusepengui

... Coach threatening to sue, yada, yada, yada. We start clock to replace and game goes on...

Just interested. Sue you for what? You didn't endanger B1 as she was on the sideline away from all the action.

[Eastshire]

I think you probably should have killed it as soon as the ball was released on the first try. The ball doesn't have to be in anyone's possession for you to kill it. If it goes in, B get the ball to inbound. If not, you go to the arrow. Either way you've given A their play.

That said, I also don't have a real problem with what you did as you in no way endangered the apparently injured player.

[chartrusepengui]

I'm not worried about being "sued" - nothing there for that. I believe I would have stopped play had someone actually grasped the ball but since A1 in no danger at all and no blood - I decided that the play had not finished.

[VaTerp]

I would have handled it exactly the same way.

[PG_Ref]

Rule 5-8-2 note kinda breaks it down of when to stop the play. Judegment call as always.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by chartrusepengui

I don't see that A1 is hurt all that badly.

Can't call what you don't see.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Can't call what you don't see.

He saw she was hurt, but didn't know how badly. That's different than not knowing she was hurt at all.