At a camp this year this same type of situation was brought up, not the specifics, but the generalization of fishing in someone elses pond. The D1 guy at the camp said "if ya gotta have it, then by all means go get it" in other words if everyone in the gym, except your partner/s saw it and or it truly has an effect on the game then, yes go get it. In this situation where you say L could have been holding his whistle waiting on the result, and you think maybe he can play through, then this is one that I don't think "we gotta have", I pass on it and use the comments to the coach theory