If a player not designated as a starter is on the court when the game starts, is the official correct to charge team A with a technical foul?

When a player who is not designated as a starter participates on the court at the beginning of the game, no technical foul is charged to team A simply for their presence. The action of a non-starter being on the court does not, in itself, violate any specific rule that warrants a technical foul. Technical fouls are typically associated with breaches of conduct, improper substitutions, or failure to comply with game regulations, none of which are present in this scenario.

It is important to consider that the presence of a non-starter when the game begins is a misstep in terms of proper player designation, but it does not necessarily carry an automatic penalty such as a technical foul at the opening of a game. The rules governing player eligibility and substitutions outline the procedures for handling such situations, which do not prescribe a direct punitive measure like a technical foul in this case.

To clarify further, other options suggest conditions that would not realistically apply. Scoring points or the number of timeouts available does not influence whether a technical foul should be assessed for a player starting improperly. The circumstances under which a technical foul may be assessed are more detailed and relate to specific infractions or unsportsmanlike conduct, rather than merely being on the court without prior designation as a