When Substitute B-6 enters the court while Team A has ball control, is it correct for the referee to rule that no technical foul can be charged when they have six players in the game?

When a player, specifically Substitute B-6, enters the court while Team A has ball control, the correct ruling is that a technical foul must be assessed for having too many players on the court. Basketball rules dictate that each team is allowed a specific number of players on the court at any one time, typically five. When a sixth player is present, it constitutes a violation of this rule, leading to a technical foul being charged.

The reasoning behind this is tied to the integrity of the game. Allowing six players on the court disrupts the fairness of play and can provide an unfair advantage to the team exceeding the allowable roster size. Even if the infraction occurs during active play while Team A is in possession of the ball, the infraction is still recognized immediately, and the proper response by the officials is to declare a technical foul.

It’s worth noting that merely realizing the error before the next dead ball does not negate the requirement for the foul to be assessed. Similarly, the continuation of play does not impact the necessity of the ruling. The technical foul serves as a corrective measure within the rules of the game to ensure compliance and uphold fairness during competition.