North Texas Basketball Officials Association (NTBOA)

Last week we looked at delay of game situations and as a follow-up to that discussion, we are going to discuss the resumption of play procedure. Rule 7.5.1 states when a team does not make a thrower available, after a time-out or the intermission between any quarter, the resumption-of-play procedure is used to prevent delay. The administering official will sound the whistle to indicate play will resume. In each situation:

a. The ball shall be put in play if Team A is ready or it shall be placed on the floor.
b. The throw-in count shall begin and if a violation occurs, the procedure will be repeated for Team B.
c. Following a violation by one team only, if that team continues to delay when authorized to make a throw-in, it is a technical foul.
d. Following a violation by both teams, any further delay by either team is a technical foul.

To further illustrate this rule, let's look at some case plays.

Situation A: The administering official has reached a five second throw-in count on Team A after placing the ball on the floor when A was not ready to resume play following a time-out. What happens next? Ruling: The violation is administered and the ball is made available to Team B for a throw-in, at the same spot.

Situation B: Team A does not break the huddle after the second horn for a 60 second time-out. The official puts the ball down at the designated spot and begins the five-second count. The administering official is between four and five on the count when Team B reaches over the boundary and grabs the ball. Ruling: Delay-of-game warning on Team B for reaching across the plane. No Team A member ever possessed the ball for the throw-in; therefore, a technical foul would not be assessed.

Situation C: B1 fouls A1 during and unsuccessful try for goal. The calling official has properly reported the foul and is in position for the free throws. The administering official has given all instructions and signals. Team B is properly occupying the required spaces, but three teammates of A1 are huddling inside the lane. Ruling: Team A is warned for delay, the scorer records it and it is reported to the head coach. If Team A commits any delay thereafter in the game, a team technical foul shall be charged. Since this situation is not a throw-in or following a time-out or intermission, the resumption-of-play procedure shall not be used. If the free thrower is not in the semicircle when the administering official is ready, a technical foul is charged to the free thrower. If the free thrower is in the semicircle, but does not accept the ball, it shall be placed on the floor and the count started.

Keep in mind that no one likes using the resumption of play procedure, but is part of the rule and an effective method for teams not complying with returning to the court in a timely manner. Also, this procedure is used prior to charging a technical foul for delay after time outs or the intermission between quarters.

However, before you use this procedure, make sure you have initiated preventive officiating and tried to get teams to come out for play without delaying. I would also encourage you to tell the head coach to work with you and that if they continue to delay, you will use this procedure. That way, when you do, you have given the coach every opportunity to comply. At the end of close game, when a team is in a time-out designing a last second play to try to win the game is not the time to use this procedure, especially if the coach has never been warned for delay. Use common sense and preventive officiating when applying this rule.

Click Here for Rule Book Reference 7.5.1