NFHS BASKETBALL- 5 CORRECTABLE ERRORS RULE 2-10

1.What are the correctable errors? 2.When are they correctable? To understand and properly apply the correctable error rule, 4 questions must be answered. 1.What are the correctable errors? 2.When are they correctable? 3.How are errors corrected? 4.Who may appeal?

WHAT ARE THE FIVE CORRECTABLE ERRORS? The four that involve free throws are: ✓ Failure to award a merited ✓ Awarding an unmerited free throw ✓ Permitting a wrong player to attempt a free throw ✓ Attempting a free throw at the wrong basket The fifth correctable error is: ✓ Erroneously to counting or canceling a score Note: The first 4 correctable errors occur when the clock is stopped. Only the fifth can occur while the clock is running.

Error Examples ball/clock Failure to award a merited free throw Player B1 (defense) commits a common foul; the 7th team B foul of the half. The official awards the ball to Team A for a throw-in. B1 commits a common foul; the 10th team B foul of the half. The official awards a free throw (one and one) to A1. A1 misses the free throw. dead/ stopped same Awarding an unmerited free throw B1 commits a common foul; the 6th team B foul of the half. The official awards a free throw (one and one) to A1. B1 commits a common foul; the 9th team B foul of the half. The official awards two free throws to A1. A1 makes both free throws. A1 (offense) commits a team control foul, the 10th team B foul of the half. The official awards B1 2 free throws. dead/ stopped same same Permitting a wrong player to attempt free throw B1 commits a common foul against A1; the 10th team B foul of the half. A2 mistakenly shoots and makes the 2 free throws awarded by the official. dead/ stopped Attempting a free throw at the wrong basket B1 is ejected at the start of the 3rd quarter for punching A1. A3 mistakenly shoots the 2 free throws at the wrong basket. Erroneously counting or cancelling a score A2 makes a shot that was started when his foot was touching the 3-point line. The official signals a 3-point goal. B2 goaltends or commits basket interference on a shot by A1 and the official fails to notify the table to score the basket. The official erroneously signals goaltending on a missed try. dead/ running dead/ stopped same

WHEN ARE ERRORS CORRECTED Each of the five correctable errors may be corrected if they are recognized before the second live ball, after the error occurs and after the clock starts or is already running. The NFHS rule book states the equivalent guideline as: ✓ an error that occurs when the clock is stopped can be corrected no later than the first dead ball after the clock has properly started ✓an error that occurs when the clock is running can be corrected before the second live ball The correctable error rule is usually applied when the ball is already dead. With one exception, play should not be stopped specifically to apply the rule. This next chart summarizes the correctable error time frames.

Ball is at disposal of Team A. Team A completes throw-in. DEAD BALL Any activity before ball becomes live and clock starts or is running. 1ST LIVE BALL AFTER ERROR AND CLOCK STARTS/IS RUNNING DEAD BALL 2ND LIVE BALL AFTER ERROR AND CLOCK STARTS/ IS RUNNING B1 commits a common foul; the 7th team B foul of the half. Official awards the ball to Team A for a throw-in. Ball is at disposal of Team A. Team A completes throw-in. A1 scores goal. Ball is at disposal of team B for throw-in. B1 commits a common foul; the 6h team B foul of the half. The official awards a free throw (1 and 1) to A1. A1 shoots 1st free throw. A1 makes 1st free throw. A1 shoots and misses 2nd free throw. Team B rebounds the ball. B1 scores goal. Team A immediately calls time out. After timeout, ball is at disposal of team A for throw-in B1 fouls A1; the 10th team B foulof the half. Official awards 2 free throws to A1. A2 mistakenly shoots 1st free throw. A2 misses 1st free throw. A2 mistakenly shoots 2nd free throw. A2 makes 2nd free throw. Ball is at disposal of team B for throw-in. Team B completes throw-in. B1 is fouled during an unsuccessful try. Ball is at disposal of B1 for free throw. B1 punches A1 before the start of the 3rd quarter. The official ejects B1 and awards 2 free throw to team A. A3 shoots 1st free throw at wrong basket. A3 misses 1st free throw. A3 shoots 2ndfree throw at wrong basket. A3 makes 2nd free throw. Ball is at disposal of team B for throw-in. B1 scores goal. Ball is at disposal of team A for throw-in. Official signals a 3-point goal for a shot started by A2 with with a foot on the 3-point line.

HOW ARE ERRORS CORRECTED? To correct an error, the official must: 1.Recognize it as one of the 5 correctable errors 2.Determine that the time frame for correction has not elapsed 3.Apply the correction a.Cancel any unmerited, wrong basket or wrong player free throws and activity during such free throws other than unsporting flagrant intentional or technical fouls b.Administer any bypassed merited, right basket or right player free throws c.Count (cancel) any erroneously canceled (counted) score

By rule, “Points scored, consumed time and additional activity which may occur” after an error and “prior to the recognition of an error shall not be nullified.” With one exception, after an error is corrected, play is resumed by the point of interruption method (discussed in the next session). The exception is that if it “involves awarding a merited free throw(s) and there has been no change of team possession since the error was made, play shall resume as after any free-throw attempt(s)”. This exception was referenced in the prior section. For this situation, stop play immediately while the ball is live and possession is maintained.

Point of interruption is a method of resuming play after the following occurs: ✓ an official’s inadvertent whistle ✓ an interrupted game ✓ administration of a correctable error ✓ a double personal foul ✓ a double technical foul ✓ a simultaneous foul

NFHS rule 5-8-4 specify that a head coach may appeal by requesting that a correctable error be recognized by an official. When such an appeal is made it must be honored by a review by a official. A head coach may, by rule, request a timeout to prevent or rectify a correctable error. When such a timeout is requested by the head coach and a correctable error is recognized as a result, no timeout is charged. NFHS rule also allow the head coach to confer with personnel at the scorer’s table to request a time out to prevent or rectify a correctable error. In practice, a coach, table personnel or a player may alert an official to the possibility of a correctable error.

Within the language of NFHS basketball rules, officials don't make mistakes. Officials make errors. Table personnel make bookkeeping and scoring mistakes. A bookkeeping mistake, such as a failure to record a goal, “may be corrected an any time until the referee approves the final score.” (NFHS 2-11-11). NFHS (2-8-10) rule allows the referee to add or deduct time from the clock when an official has knowledge of a timing mistake.