[williebfree]

Generally speaking, only stop the play if a player is in emminent danger; losing a shoe does not qualify. If a player is down, and the ball has been rebounded and passed out to the wing for a fastbreak (to other end). Stay with the player and let the break continue. Ultimately, you have to decide if there is a risk to any of the players if you let the play continue or not. Error on the side of caution.

There can be other factors that dictate how quickly to intervene with a whistle. If it is 6th grade Rec League, I will stop it immediately if a player's glasses fall to the floor and a stampede of players are in the area. (I know how expensive those glasses can be.)