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Really lousy game, with two very untalented teams, lots of fouls, lots of confusion, frustrated coaches, etc. (freshman girls).
Okay, so, I'm new trail ready to hand the ball to the in-bounder. She's had trouble getting the ball inbounds all game. I look around, making sure everyone is ready, then I hand off the ball and start counting vvveeerrryyy ssslllooowwwlllyyy. 1----2----3----4-- I look up at the inbounder who has that deer-in-the-headlights look in her eye and she says, "can't we take a time-out?" sure no problem, whistle, yell "Time out!" (this is where I'd like a full time out signal!) the defender runs over to her bench, and now that the defender is gone ...
I can see that the girl who is supposed to receive the ball is tying her shoes! Both these girls look at me in shock and I can hear them thinking, "Oh, no, what is the coach going to say?"
After I report, I dash over to the coach and say, "I'm sorry; if I'd known why she was having trouble, I'd have held up the ball, but once I call it, I can't take it back." Coach was nice about it, and had plenty of use for the time out, but I heard her telling the girls, next time da da da da da da.
I didn't have any choice, did I? Once I had blown, yelled, and the girls were all headed for the benches, I couldn't have called it back, could I?
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