Quote:
Originally posted by wolf1pack
I am a coach in a rec league coaching 17-18 year old boys team. I need a claification on when a team can call a timeout. I know you can call a timeout when you have possesion of the ball, or during a dead ball situation. If team A scores a basket, when can team A call a timeout? Also, if team A makes a free throw (second of two shoots), when can team A call a timeout. Is it up until Team B inbounds the ball, or until the ball is at team B's disposal to inbound the ball. We are playing games according to the NFHS rules. Thanks for your help
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Wolfpack -- welcome to the forum! We love having coaches come here and ask good questions like this.
This is a great question because so many folks don't understand the rules. After team A scores a basket, the ball is dead for a short period of time. Team A is allowed to request a time out during that brief moment, and the officials should grant it. The trick is to make the request at the right instant. It should be as the ball is in the net, so that it's clear the basket was made, but the ball is not yet "at the disposal" of team B.
Rememeber that a coach cannot CALL a timeout, he or she can only REQUEST it. The officials GRANT the timeouts, when they are legal. Also, don't expect rec league refs to know all the details of the rule. It's possible that a rec league ref won't know that a time-out can be granted to team A right as the ball is passing through the basket. You would do yourself a service to find a way to help the education process forward without being confrontational. I expect you are one of the few coaches who can do this -- your coming here and asking us in this fashion shows that you have a reasonable side.