I watched two playoff games this last week. In both games there was a timing incident at the end of the 4th period.
Please let me know how you "pros" would have handled it.
1st game: Team A has the ball and is down by 6pts. 42 seconds left in the game. A1 shoots the ball and makes a 2pt FG. Coach A screams for a time out. (Requests a time out) The umpire in this two man crew grants Coach A a time out before Team B had possesion of the ball. Coach A then tells the Umpire that 2 seconds ran off the clock after he was granted the time out. The umpire, who was lead at the time, went to the Referee and asked him if he had any knowledge of the clock running the additional two seconds. The Referee went to the table and called both coaches over to tell them he had no knowledge of the clock running down...Therefore, there would be no time put back on the clock.
At the completion of the time out, the Umpire was returning to the base line to administer the throw in to Team B when the Coach for Team A said, "Hey, Joe (Umpire) look...the Alternate over here is saying there was two seconds that ran off the clock!" The Umpire looked at the Alternate and sure enough he had two fingers up and shaking his head like there was two seconds that ran off. Whew! The Umpire then went to the Referee and told him "our alternate is saying there was two seconds that ran off..." The Referee, at this point had no choice but to put back some time on the clock.
The Referee decided to put back 1 second on the clock since there is a 1 second lag time. He sold it, and both coaches were happy. Team B went on to win easily.
My question: Since you have definite knowledge that 2 seconds ran off the clock, from the Alternate Official, wouldn't you put all the time back on...2 seconds...and not have to worry about the lag time?
Also: Should the Alternate official being voluntering information with out being asked? I think not.
2nd Sitch: End of game...Score tied...Team A shoots the ball with 2.3 seconds left, and makes a 2pt. FG. Team B trys frantically to call a time out after the basket amongst the noise. I saw the time on the clock when the basket was made...2.3 seconds. I saw the time when B1 was requesting a time out 1.9 seconds. I saw the Umpire raise his hand and blow the whistle at this time. I saw the clock run down to 0.0. I saw Team A run out on the court jumping and yelling that they were going to State. I watched as the Umpire and Referee got together at mid court amongst the celebration to decide what to do. After a brief conference the Referee came out waving his arms that the game was over.
My question: If the Referee saw there was 1.9 seconds on the clock when B1 was requesting a time out to the Umpire, could 1.9 seconds have been put on the clock? Or would .9 be put on for the 1 second lag time? Or is it OK in this situation to just call the game as was done?
Thanks for your input,
RD
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