Sick player unavailable, then available
 

Here's something similar to the earlier "Substitution help ASAP" thread from one of my island games today.

MS girls, home team only has six players, one of which has fouled out.

After a time out in the fourth quarter, my partner tells me that one of the home players is sick, so the coaches agreed to play four-on-four. Now, I wasn't about to tell a coach that a sick kid must play (I found out later she was vomiting), but I had to tell the visiting coach -- who had 10-12 players -- that he must have five on the floor. I went as far, in this game, to advise that one player could stand off to the side, as long as she was on the court. I explained the same to the home head coach, and all was well.

Of course, another home player fouled out, and the sick kid suddenly became well enough to play. I made no issue of it.

Oh, it was a tie game in the last minute, but the visiting team scored twice in the last 20 seconds for a four-point win.

IS that because there is nowhere in the rules that you can?

We Make 'Em Up As We Go Along ...
 

Hey. That wouldn't stop many of our Forum posters.

Huh?? Have you read a rule book lately?

Where is he wrong? The coach with five players must have five on the court.

Hmmmm...have you? :D

Hmmm....Are you telling me that you would not consider a sick kid as "injured" and force them to play? I'm going with 4 players according to 3.1.1.

Then you need to read the OP more closely. That's what he did.

Quote: "...but I had to tell the visiting coach -- who had 10-12 players -- that he must have five on the floor. I went as far, in this game, to advise that one player could stand off to the side, as long as she was on the court. I explained the same to the home head coach, and all was well."

Well done. Case Book 3.1.1

For Coaches, Players, And Fanboys ...
 

3.1.1 SITUATION: After six players have been disqualified, Team A has only
four who are eligible to continue in the game as players. In a gesture of fair play,
the coach of Team B indicates a desire to withdraw a player so that each team will
have four players on the court. RULING: This is not permissible. Team B must
have five players participating as long as it has that number available. If no substitute
is available, a team must continue with fewer than five players. When only
one player remains to participate, that team shall forfeit the game unless the referee
believes this team still has an opportunity to win the game.

Bainsey:

Let us tweak your OP. Let us assume that the "sick" player H5) had left the game earlier because of an injury, say and ankle injury, that Team H did not have a shortage of players, and at some point later in the game (keeping in mind that Team H has made numerous substitutions since H5 initially the game), H-Trainer determines that H5 can now return to the game, would you question H5's return to the game?

While the rules require a team to have five players on the court if there are five eligible players are available, injured or sick players who are by rule eligible can not be forced to enter the game. If their condition changes, such that they can now enter the game by all means let them.

MTD, Sr.

Eligible ??? Available ???
 

How about players who the coach declares ineligible due to grades, discipline, too many minutes, or periods, played, school, team, conference, or league, rules, etc.?

I think you may have your teams mixed up.

The HOME team had the sick kid. They played with four.

It was the VISITING coach whom I told must have five on the floor. They had more than enough.

And Mr. DeNucci, I like the analogy.

Billy:

I thought it was implied in the thread that we are discussing players whose names are in the Scorebook. Regarding StateHSAA's that have quarter restrictions (and there is a recent thread discussing that situation) I would say that those players should be treated as a "disqualified" player.

MTD, Sr.

What if a player only has one quarter of eligibility left that day, and on the third quarter the coach needs him to make five. Coach says he's ineligible in the third but puts him in for the start of the fourth.