[PHX117]

In a high school varsity girls' basketball game recently the following took place.

The Home team scored to take a two point lead with 90 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. The Home coach quickly tried to call a timeout, but was not acknowledged by either official. The Away team in-bounded the ball and took about three dribbles up-court. Then, one official blew the whistle to signal time out for the Home team.

Rather than an inadvertent whistle being declared, the two officials had a brief discussion and granted the Home team a timeout anyway. During the timeout, the Away head coach addressed the officials for an explanation as to why a timeout was granted. During this time, the Away head coach was told that the other official was deaf and did not hear the Home coach call the timeout. The Away coach reiterated that it was too late to acknowledge the timeout when the Away players were already advancing the ball up the court. At that time, a technical foul was called on the Away coach by one official.

Can the officials back track and declare they did see the Home coach calling the time out? If they did, why wasn't the whistle blown right away? If an official has a disadvantage (such as being deaf in this case), why was this not addressed during the pre-game meeting?


side note - I feel for the two officials who were put into a difficult position. It is understandable a deaf official would not hear a coach asking for a timeout, but why assign the official a varsity game? Isn't it too much asking two teams of players and coaches to compensate and/or be penalized for one official's disadvantage?