Confused In Connecticut ...

[BillyMac]

Nevadaref posted this on another thread:

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.

In this caseplay, it appears that the coach recognized that there were only four players on the court before the official did. What happens if the official notices this "infraction" first? Rules and mechanics? And note that this situation does not occur after a timeout.

[Nevadaref]

There is no reason to stop the game, so just continue playing.

I suppose that the official could inform the coach to have his 5th player return inbounds, but that may be overstepping one's authority as an impartial observer of the game.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

There is no reason to stop the game, so just continue playing.

I suppose that the official could inform the coach to have his 5th player return inbounds, but that may be overstepping one's authority as an impartial observer of the game.

More so than holding up the throw in waiting for #5?

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Nevadaref

There is no reason to stop the game, so just continue playing.

So the "rule of thumb" that a team cannot play with less than five players when five are available is ignored? So, there are only two alternatives here? The fifth player enters the court and does not gain an advantage by doing so, which is ignored by the official? Or, the fifth player enters the court by deceitful means, and gains an immediate advantage, at which point the official charges a technical foul? Again, these are not substitutions after a timeout, so under what rule would a technical foul be charged? I don't have any answers here, I'm just looking for some help in trying to "wrap my arms" around this situation. Can we please continue this discussion?

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

So the "rule of thumb" that a team cannot play with less than five players when five are available is ignored?

There's nothing to ignore. Five were available; one just thought he was on the bench. He still has player status, so he gets off the bench and on the court where he belongs. I don't see any harm here.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

So the "rule of thumb" that a team cannot play with less than five players when five are available is ignored?

Just because there's a "rule of thumb" doesn't mean that there's a penalty (in all cases) if the rule isn't followed.

And, just because there's a "rule of thumb" for one situation, doesn't mean that the rule applies in all situations.

[BillyMac]

The fifth player enters the court and gains an immediate advantage. Again, not after a timeout. Does the official charge a technical foul? If so, under what rule would a technical foul be charged? Certainly not for all five players not returning to the court at the same time after a timeout, because there was no timeout. I'm not taking any "stand" on this situation, just asking questions, hoping to get some rule, or casebook, citations.

[Sharpshooternes]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The fifth player enters the court and gains an immediate advantage. Again, not after a timeout. Does the official charge a technical foul? If so, under what rule would a technical foul be charged? Certainly not for all five players not returning to the court at the same time after a timeout, because there was no timeout. I'm not taking any "stand" on this situation, just asking questions, hoping to get some rule, or casebook, citations.

What if the fifth player enters the court, not deceitfully but just as his team gains control from a steal or rebound, realizes he is supposed to be in, and then gets a quick breakaway bucket? What would be the ruling here?