Quote:
Originally Posted by bob Jenkins
When a kid says "time out I need to tie my shoe" he's not really requesting a Time Out as defined in the rules.
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To reiterate, in a real game, I'm not going to charge a timeout to a player who simply wants to tie his shoe.
However, "as defined in the rules", how is a player in this situation not "defined" as requesting a timeout.
From NFHS Rule 5: "Time-out occurs and the clock, if running, shall be stopped when an official: Grants a player’s request for a time-out, such request being granted only when: The ball is dead, unless replacement of a disqualified, or injured player(s),or a player directed to leave the game is pending, and a substitute(s) is available and required."
Also: "Exception: No time-out is charged if: the player’s request results from displaced eyeglasses, or lens."
The NFHS has a rule that officials don't charge a timeout when a player requests a timeout to deal with eyeglasses. The NFHS doesn't make an exception for such a request in the case of an untied shoe, or an injury.
Common sense tells me to not charge a timeout for eyeglasses, untied shoes, or injuries, but the rules, by the book, don't seem to back that up. And, by the way, these are all realistic game situations. In thirty years I've had dozens of players, from middle school, up to high school varsity, request a timeout for eyeglasses, untied shoes, or injuries, actually using the word, "Timeout", and in none of those cases did I charge that player's team with a timeout.