When is a technical foul called regarding players outside the court during a substitution?

A technical foul is called when a player enters the court prematurely during a substitution because this action violates the proper procedure for substitutions in basketball. The rules require that only the players who are officially in the game, as well as those who are legally substituting, can be on the court at any given time. If a player enters the game before being signaled in by the official, it disrupts the flow of the game and undermines the authority of the officials.

In cases where coaches might dispute a call, a technical foul can indeed be assessed for unsportsmanlike conduct, but it is specifically related to the behavior rather than the substitution procedure itself. The situation of having more than five players on the court is also technically a valid reason for a technical foul, but it is a consequence of a substitution error rather than the precise action of a player entering prematurely. Lastly, issues regarding equipment fitting may lead to warnings or re-evaluations but do not directly relate to player substitutions or the resulting infractions. Thus, the essence of the rule is that players must follow specific protocols when substituting onto the court to maintain order and fair play in the game.