Unplayable area

[chapmaja]

So what about this situation. Ball is shanked to a player who is attempting to play the ball as it passes between the bench and the scorers table. There is no physical line on the floor designating the dividing line between those two locations for the R1, who at best is about 40 feet away to see. The R2 is 10 feet away and has a much better ability to not only see, but determine of the player plays the ball legally or not.

The reason I ask is I did have this issue come up a couple weeks ago at an all day tourney. The R2 never made a call and then had to spend a couple minutes discussing the situation with the complaining coach, then me as the R1, then the other coach, then me again, then the complaining coach, then me. In the end we ruled it a replay which I know really isn't supported by rule, but at that point it was about the only way to 1) get the match going again and 2) get the R2 away from the complaining coaches. Plus the coaches actually suggested the replay.