substitutions April 23, 2022 World Games 2014 0 Forum Questions Dead ball situation off a timeout. Team A starts with ball in defensive half of the field coming out of the TO. Whistle blows to start play, player comes out of the substitution box on the offensive half of the field and receives the pass. Is this a delayed substitution and turn over of the ball? Question File Add new DuBan's Answer: Visual Text Kratz's Answer: Visual Text McCarrick's Answer: Visual Text Riti's Answer: Visual Text Tyma's Answer: Visual Text This is a circumstance that demonstrates the usefulness of the principle of "ABC" -- "Always Be Counting." We must officiate on dead balls as well as on live play. Since there was a timeout, there is no hurry to restart play to avoid disadvantaging the team in possession. The officials have the time to make sure that both teams have ten players on the field before restarting. A good practice is to cover this topic in your pregame meeting. Some officials prefer to assign counting one team to one of the officials on the crew and assign the other team to a second official. Others choose to have two officials counting both sides. Whatever you agree to do, make sure you do it throughout the game. When you notice that the team in possession withheld a player in order to have one suddenly appear in order to receive a pass, you should probably just kill the play and start over. "Sorry, coaches -- white didn't have all their players on the field when we blew the whistle." (It's true, after all; and it is impossible to adjudicate intent, so penalizing the team whose player jumped out is probably not called for.) But the team in possession should not get an unearned advantage, either. Then make extra sure to be counting players for the rest of the game. Answer File Question Answered Yes No
