mbr.org Post on 6 Players on the Court in Gardner-MV Game

 Browing mbr.org’s website last night there was a post about a technical foul being called on Medomak Valley in their game with Gardner because they had 6 players on the court. Posters were pointing fingers at everyone involved, the officials (of course) and the coach.

Let’s explain what happened. Medomak Valley had called a time out in the fourth period. The horn sounded at the 15 second warning point of the time out. It sounded again at the end of the 60 seconds. By this time MV should have been on the floor ready to play.

The official administrating the throw in waited for them to come onto the floor. The ball was given to the player making the throw in and the clock started as soon as the ball was touched in bounds, at that point it was discovered that in the confusion of the time out, the pressure of the game and the officials wanting to get the game moving, they suddenly observed 6 players on the floor for MV with the clock running. A technical foul was called on MV for having 6 players on the floor.

It was a 2 point game at the time. Gardner got 2 shots and made them both and then got the ball at midcourt, opposite the scorers table at the division line. It certainly effected  the game at that point.

All involved had a part in this becoming a problem.

Of course, the officals take most of the heat. There is no place in the rule book, mechaniucs or casebook that I could fine, that states any of the three officials should count the players on both teams on the floor after a time out. between quarters or any delay or interruption of play. However, officials are told to count in this situation and they all know this.

All involved are human, and they will make mistakes in a game. Coaches will make coaching mistakes, players will make turnovers and officials will miss calls. Let’s leave it at that. However, the officials are the ones that will take the most heat.

In a D1 college game this year this same situation occurred and a technical had to be called for 6 players on the floor for a team. This 3 person crew was suspended for one game. Was the coach or players suspended??? 

I personally feel bad for all involved and I am sure the coach, players (sub and player being subbed for) and especially the officals certainly feel bad that it happened.

We all mistakes in our jobs, so “People who live in glass houses, shouldn’t be throwing stones”..

It is just a game, hopefully, life lessons will be learned and we need to move on to the next game.