Two hurt players situation--How would you handle it
 

Had a messy situation tonight. Team A is ahead by one but down to four eligible players with thirty seconds left. A1 is driving while B1 is trying to foul. A2 and A1 collide, simultaneous with a whistle on B1 for a foul. Both A1 and A2 are writhing on the floor in pain. Bench personnel come onto the floor to attend to both players.

Both players eventually get up, after being attended to. A1 is supposed to shoot bonus shots. How would you handle it? A is already playing short one player, but two girls were down hurt and no bench personnel available.

Any timeouts available?

You say they got up. Were they in good enough shape to stay in the game?
If so, the offended player can shoot. If there are no available subs, the player having to leave the game does not apply.

They were both good enough to stay in, but at the time it seemed to me that with the coach coming out, a player needed to come out of the game until the next sub opportunity.

Yes, she did have time outs. So should we have had her 'buy' them in with a timeout?

With no bench players, and thus no subs, I think that rule about players having to come out of the game could be waived. Unless A1 was so hurt she could not shoot the shots (in which case the other coach chooses the foul shooter, correct?), I don't think either player should be forced to sit out until the next sub.

No, the other coach doesn't get to choose the free throw shooter unless they are playing by NCAA rules.

Yeah, that was something I saw in an NCAA game this year. How would you deal with it on the HS level?

8-2

The free throw(s) awarded because of a personal foul shall be attempted by the offended player. If such player must withdraw because of an injury or disqualification, his/her substitute shall attempt the throw(s) unless no substitute is available, in which case any teammate may attempt the throw(s) as selected by the team captain or head coach.

Peace

I don't think you can waive the substitution for injury based on the depth of the bench. By rule, the players were attended to and need to be substituted out of the game.

How did you handle the situation?

Anytime there's an injured player that has been attended to by the coach or bench personnel, especially towards the end of the game, we've been asked to remind coaches, as a courtesy, of their option to keep the player in by calling a timeout.

Basically, I told the coach that we stopped for injury so somebody was coming out. She left A1 in to shoot the free throw, and after the first free throw was made put A2 back in the game.

Just keep in mind they do not have to come out of the game until someone is beckoned for on the bench (coach or trainer). If you stop the clock and they prop back up, then they can stay in the game. It is not an automatic when you stop the clock they must come out of the game.

Peace

Right, JRut. I should have been more specific. It was not just a stop--it was a stop and the coach was beckoned out. Since two girls were down, and no subs were available, once they got them both up I asked her to pick one to sit until the next sub opportunity. In the heat of the moment, it didn't occur to me to offer her the chance to call a timeout, nor did she ask.

That is fine, it does not happen often or if ever to any of us. I might not have asked the same question on my own either. And coaches should know that rule for their own benefit as well.

Peace

Do you not have a rule/case book?