Player(s) confused about sub situation
 

Case 10.3.2 Situation B deals with a player who mistakenly believes that he's been subbed out of the game. After play resumes, the coach realizes that they only have 4 players on the court and directs the 5th player to get on the court. The player returns during the live ball, and no penalty is to be assessed.

I seem to remember some small difference in rulings between this case and (maybe?) a case in which the confusion was after a time-out or intermission. Does anyone know of a case play in which a player returning after genuine confusion would be assessed a technical foul?

Caseplay 10.1.9 is the play dealing with a player not returning after a time-out. Don't recall a ruling dealing with a player being "genuinely" confused (other than the one already mentioned).

Delay Return Following A Time Out ...
 

10.1.9 SITUATION: Following a charged time-out Team B is still with their
coach on the sideline when the official sounds the whistle to indicate play will
resume. Four players of B return to the court just in time to play defense as A1
attempts an unsuccessful three-pointer. B1 rebounds and throws a long pass to
B5 who enters the court just in time to catch the pass. RULING: A technical foul
is immed iately charged to Team B for failing to have all players return to the court
at approximately the same time following a time-out or intermission. While it is
true the entire team may be off the court while the procedure is being used, once
a team responds, all players must enter the court at approximately the same time.

Delay Returning To Court ...
 

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.